Reconciliation: Grief's Reunion (Revised Edition)
by giftheck
Summary: It has been fifteen years since Nick left Zootopia and he's never looked back, but he is forced to confront his past when news reaches him that his mother is dying. How will he react when he learns of the son he thought was never going to be born? And can he mend his relationship with Judy? Revised for 2020.
1. Trust and Tragedy

Welcome to the 'Third Anniversary Edition' of _Grief's Reunion_. I feel I've learned a lot about writing since starting the original version of this story. I've taken on board a lot of good comments about my writing and I feel I can return to this story and, while not 're-write' it entirely, certainly give it an update thanks to some of the skills I have picked up since completing it. This is also the chance for me to change a few things that I was not happy with story-wise (in particular, a section which was drawn out too long through repetition)

For AO3 and DeviantArt, I will be keeping the originals up as 'archive record' versions. FFN, this will be the only version of the story uploaded there.

I will be doing _Waking Death_ consecutively with this, but that won't be uploaded until I have finished posting this. And I suppose this is also the space to announce a third _Reconciliation_ story, which will, again, only be posted once the first two are completed. That story will be in continuity with these reversions.

I suppose I should tip the hat, begrudgingly, to borba on DeviantArt for the controversial and quite frankly ill-written comic, _I Will Survive_, which serves as the original inspiration for this story, or should I say 'anti-inspiration'. I don't agree with the comic in question, but I decided the idea was worth re-framing and moving onward. I won't profess to writing Shakespeare or anything, but I hope I have succeeded in my goal of reframing this while making the characters behave closer to their film counterparts. I must make this absolutely clear before we begin: though the initial 'inspiration' comes from IWS, this is not a sequel to it. It takes place in its own continuity.

Disclaimer: Disney owns Zootopia. I wish I did.

* * *

**RECONCILIATION: GRIEF'S REUNION  
****REVISED EDITION**

**TRUST AND TRAGEDY**

'_A lot happened since I last came to Zootopia.'_

This was the thought that Nick had held ever since boarding the plane bound from Mexicat to Zootopia. He hadn't been to Zootopia for fifteen years. It wasn't exactly intentional. Sometimes, life just worked out a certain way. After what had happened, Nick had needed to get as far away as he could for a while. From Zootopia, from the ZPD… from _her_ and anything that could remind him of her.

'_I'm not sure if I really hate her.'_

That was a thought that had always stuck with Nick. Despite everything that had happened between him and Judy Hopps, he just couldn't bring himself to truly hate her for what she had done.

Three weeks. That was all he had planned on taking away from Zootopia. Three weeks. And Mexicat was just about as far as Nick could afford to go. He had paid back all his dues. There was no felony tax evasion to follow him. And since he wasn't flush for cash, he had to go somewhere cheap.

He didn't expect to find solace out there, nor expect to find out that his heart still worked, even if he thought it had been stomped on, crushed, eviscerated by what had happened.

It took time, but there was somebody who was able to help Nick heal his broken heart.

That somebody wasn't with Nick any more.

'_One year… that's how long it's been since Skye was taken…'_

Nick's gaze moved from the window to the young fox sitting, fast asleep, next to him. His fur was a slightly lighter shade than Nick's was. Underneath those sleeping eyelids were curious blues – a symbol of the connection he had with his mother, Skye Anable.

Skye had been a mechanic who had moved to Mexicat after losing someone she cared about. She never liked to talk about it, and Nick knew not to ask. She was a red fox, but was born with leucism, which meant that her fur, which should have been red like Nick's, was instead a cream colour.

Their son, Robert 'Robin' Anable, was eleven years old and blissfully unaware of the hardships that either of his parents had when they were his age. The present day was kinder to foxes than the past was. Nick had even been able to make a decent life for himself in Mexicat, starting his own legitimate business that brought joy to children. He was the owner of an amusement park. It wasn't the most glamorous thing he could imagine, but the work had been his. Having a wife as a mechanic had helped greatly as well.

As was customary, when he and Skye had married, he took her last name, and that name passed down to Robin.

Skye had died rather quickly. She had been shopping when she crossed the road and an elderly ram had ran the stop sign, mowing her down. It had devastated Nick, and Robin had become more withdrawn, refusing to interact with the children at his school.

It was a situation that wouldn't have happened under any other circumstance.

'_If only she had talked to me',_ Nick thought bitterly, '_instead of going behind my back. Why did I have to hear it off Clawhauser, of all mammals?'_

Nick wasn't thinking of Skye with that thought, but of Judy. A child was something Nick hadn't thought too much about in his past. Even when he was with Judy, the thought hadn't crossed his mind. He had assumed that it wasn't possible to have children with Judy anyway, so it was a want he didn't feel particularly strongly about. Maybe adoption, someday.

'_If you had come to me… if you had told me… I would have stood by you.'_

And therein lay Nick's problems: he had assumed it wasn't possible, but apparently, it was. Judy and he had conceived.

Only, he didn't know anything about it until he was told by Benjamin Clawhauser, the portly ZPD desk cheetah, that Judy was looking to go through with a termination.

The fact that Judy was going to do it wasn't what angered him. It was the secrets, the frankly uncharacteristic way she had gone about keeping this from him. She should have known he would have stood by her decision.

And that apparent lack of trust had led to that moment, where Nick confronted Judy about it. Judy had tried to tell Nick that she didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't understand that she _had_. He had spent a long time after first meeting Judy trying to move away from the stereotype of foxes as shifty, secretive and untrustworthy. All he had seen was that Judy had taken on those traits instead.

Nick had lost his temper, which was rare for him. He had said things he did not really mean. In hindsight, Judy was in a highly-emotional state, and Nick knew he shouldn't have said them. If anything, Nick had always been ashamed that he had.

Judy shouldn't have thrown the punch she did either. _That_ sealed things for Nick. He had left to cool his head. As far as he was concerned, if Judy couldn't be honest with him over something as big as that, and if his 'reward' for that was to take a punch from her, then he didn't see why he should stay with her. It had hurt like hell to walk away. He hadn't planned to let it affect his career, or his friendships with the other Officers of the ZPD.

He hadn't planned on staying out in Mexicat either, but sometimes things just happened the way they did.

'_Doesn't mean that doesn't suck,'_ Nick thought to himself, '_and that's got to be the understatement of the decade.'_

His mind drifted back to the phone call he had gotten two nights ago.

* * *

_Fishing his mobile out from his pocket, Nick glanced at the screen. The caller ID was 'Old Shortie', which Nick knew was for Finnick, his oldest friend._

"_Nick Anable, theme park CEO extraordinaire!" Nick cheerfully answered._

"_Nick… you gonna have to come home," Finnick answered, his voice hushed in tone. Nick frowned. Normally one of his 'famous' answering lines was met with faux derision from the diminutive fennec, but this time, Finnick had ignored Nick's usual flair._

"_What's wrong?" Nick frowned._

"_Nick, it's your Mom," Finnick answered._

"_I swear, Fin, if you've called me to make a 'your mom' joke, I might have to head back to Zootopia and cart you round in a stroller like the old days just to get you back," Nick said._

"_She's dying," Finnick said bluntly. Nick's eyes grew wide as the gravity of what Finnick had said sunk in._

_His mother… Viola Wilde, the vixen who had always had his back when it counted – even when he didn't appreciate it – was dying. But Nick's rational thought was that this couldn't be true._

"_We talked last week," Nick said mechanically. "She was fine."_

_Usually, Nick would video-call her so they could talk as face-to-face as was possible, but the past couple of weeks, she had gone to phone calls only. It had struck Nick as a little odd, but it didn't click with him that it meant she was trying to hide something from him._

"_She been hidin' it from ya for a while," Finnick said, "but she got a brain tumour. They been tryin' to fix it, but… she got the news there's nothin' more they can do, an… Nick? Ya there?"_

_As Finnick had continued on, Nick sat down in the swivel chair in his study. His eyes had shifted to a photo on his desk. It was of Nick at his ZPD graduation ceremony – the only photo of it he had kept. He stood proudly side-by-side with his mother in the photo. His gaze moved to another picture on the desk, _

_How much was he supposed to lose before it all broke him?_

"_Wilde!" Finnick's voice came through the fog._

"_Yeah, I'm still here," Nick placed a paw on his head. After a brief pause, he grabbed his diary from his desk and flicked through it, before flinging it across the room._

"_I'll be on the first flight out," Nick said._

* * *

And so, Nick had booked the first flight he could out of Mexicat to Zootopia. His thoughts turned to the reason he had left Zootopia in the first place.

'_Guess there's a chance we could come face-to-face… not that she'd care.'_

That old bitterness threatened to rear its ugly head again. Nick forced the feelings down as he looked to his son again. A brief, loving smile graced Nick's lips. He was contented to allow the poor boy to sleep. After all, that day was going to bring a lot of upheaval. Robin would be in a new city, one that he had only ever heard his father talk about briefly. He would also be meeting his grandmother face-to-face for the first time.

"_Ladies and gentlemammals, this is the Captain speaking,_" came a voice over the in-flight speakers. "_We are starting our descent into Zootopia now. We will draw to a stop within the next fifteen minutes._"

A beam of light came in through the window and Nick's attention returned to it. He could see the tall spires of Zootopia extending from the landscape in the distance. The rising sun cast glare off the polished glass of the skyscrapers.

"Son," Nick turned to Robin and gently shook him. The young fox woke up.

"We there yet, Dad?" the fox yawned.

"Nearly," Nick gestured to the window. Robin leaned across to look out.

"I grew up here," Nick said, a small smile gracing his face. Despite the hurt that had happened here, he still had happy memories.

"_We're starting our final approach,_" The Captain said. The plane started to descend towards the Zootopia City Airport, situated to the north of the Rainforest District. As the plane flew over the Rainforest District, the canopy of trees that made up the District came into view. Excess water sprayed up from the District's artificial rain simulators and doused the windows in a thin mist.

"_Ladies and gentlemammals, please ensure you are in your seats and your safety belts are secured,_" the Captain said as the plane left the Rainforest District. The whine of the plane's engines started to lower in tone. It took minutes, but the plane touched down on the tarmac of the runway and taxied in to the airport.

"_We have arrived at Zootopia City Airport,_" the Captain announced,"_Thank you for travelling Zootopia Airlines. Please remember to take your luggage with you when you leave the plane._"

"Come on, Son," Nick said. Robin nodded as he got out of his seat. Within moments, the door to the terminal tunnel opened and Nick and Robin stepped out into it – their first steps into Zootopia together – and made their way down the tunnel and into the terminal check-in.

"Passports, please," The clerk at the check-in asked. Nick pulled two passports out from his pocket and handed them to the clerk, who opened them up.

The first he read belonged to Robin. It read:

_Robert Colton Anable_

_D.O.B.: 06/26/2023_

_Species: Vulpes Vulpes_

_Eye Colour: Blue_

_Fur Colour: Red_

_Distinguishing marks: none_

_Nationality: Mexicatian_

The clerk checked the picture, then scanned it through. Then he got to Nick's passport and checked it:

_Nicholas Piberius Anable_

_D.O.B.: 01/14/1984_

_Species: Vulpes Vulpes_

_Eye Colour: Green_

_Fur Colour: Red_

_Distinguishing Marks: none_

_Nationality: Zootopian, Mexicatian (dual)_

The clerk scanned the passports and handed them back to Nick.

"What's the reason for your visit to Zootopia?" the clerk asked.

"We're visiting family," Nick replied, a little more tersely than he intended.

"Family business." The clerk repeated as he entered the information, before handing back the passports and waving Nick and Robin along. The pair headed for the baggage handling and picked up their bags – they were travelling light – and they headed for the airport exit. As Nick stepped outside, he took a moment to take in the fact that he had returned to a place he didn't actually think he would be again. He was standing on Zootopian soil, breathing in Zootopian air, seeing Zootopian sights. Sure, those sights might have changed somewhat in the fifteen years since Nick had been here last, but it was still enough to make Nick want a moment.

"Dad?" Robin said, looking at Nick with concern. Broken out of his thoughts, Nick looked down at him and forced a smile.

"I'm fine, Robin," Nick replied.

A taxi pulled up and Nick opened the door, letting Robin in first. The driver popped the boot and Nick put their small amount of luggage into it. Closing the boot, Nick took one last glance around the terminal before getting into the taxi.

"Where to?" the horse driver asked.

"1955 Cypress Grove Lane, Rainforest District," Nick replied.

He was going home.

* * *

That marks the end of the first chapter of this rewritten version of _Grief's Reunion_! I hope I managed to work this angle better than I did the first time.

As for the changes I made, here's the obvious ones:

I've done away with the POV style of the original story. It was experimental, and I think I 'perfected' it when I did _Futures Past_, but that also meant acknowledging that, unless I was telling a story from a single character's perspective, things tended to be messy. You'll see that when we get to the later chapters.

In the original story, Nick dyed his fur black. It had started to come out by the end of the story, but this time I got rid of that entirely.

Anabel Skye was renamed to Skye Anable. Nick changed his name to hers, instead of to Hood. Robin was given the new surname, and the first name 'Robert', making 'Robin' his nickname.

Anabel in the original story was an arctic fox, while I've made Skye a leucistic red fox, in line with how I think of her now.

There will _not_ be story changes. So if you read the original _Grief's Reunion_, though the road has changed, the destination will be the same. For that reason, if you didn't like the story the first time, I'm afraid you probably won't like it this time either.


	2. Chief Concern

Welcome to chapter 2! Those of you who have read the previous version will know this is where we introduce Judy and her son, Nicholas Junior.

Thanks to the reviewers: GhostWolf88, aomagrat, August Greyeyes, x_uve, yoshifan30, OrangeBlossom46, Takeshi Nakamoto

* * *

**CHIEF CONCERN**

"_E… excuse me?"_

_Sat in the chair across from her, looking at her sympathetically, as if she had seen this all-often, was her doctor, a middle-aged hare jill._

"_There's no risk to you or your child if you decided to carry on," the doctor repeated._

_It felt like a truck had hit Judy. She suddenly felt very sick._

"_If you still want to go through with the termination, I can schedule it in," the doctor said, "but your concerns about the pregnancy causing you damage, even in the short term, while understandable given the circumstances of the conception, aren't grounded in fact. If you do decide to go through with it…"_

_The doctor's words started fading as Judy started to panic, much like she had before, when she learned she was pregnant. The panic then had clouded her mind, and her judgment._

_She had quickly arranged a 'pre-appointment' with her doctor, the moment she found out she was expecting. During the wait, her anxiety skyrocketed and she acted irrationally. She had nightmares of dying in childbirth, or being severely, permanently harmed by it. She hadn't wanted Nick to know, because she was petrified that if he did, he would abandon her. It happened anyway, and there was the doctor, telling her all these irrational fears were just that – irrational, and unfounded._

_Judy knew she had made a terrible, terrible mistake, and she knew it had cost her the best thing that had happened to her._

"_Bucket," Judy said, holding a paw to her mouth. The doctor passed her the bucket and Judy vomited into it._

"_Feeling better?" the doctor asked._

"_No," Judy replied weakly._

"_I understand why you were concerned," the doctor said, "but, while hybrid pregnancies are rare, they're not unheard of, at least for mammals of certain 'size classes'. You'd never see a mouse carrying an elephant's child, but the largest mammals in your 'size class' have conceived with mammals close to your size. I believe that was a wolf and a hare… have you talked to the father about this?"_

"_He's… not around," Judy had to repress the urge to be sick again as she said that, unsure whether it was that she was expecting, or that she had a profound, heavy sense of regret for what had happened._

_It was all wrong._

_That feeling persisted for some time afterward. She never went back to make that appointment, but she always regretted that the pre-appointment hadn't been two weeks before._

_Before Nick left._

* * *

Judy's eyes opened. She was in bed, an oversized bed meant for two medium-sized mammals. She had never gotten around to getting rid of the thing, even when it had, for the longest time, carried the scent of the fox that had since vanished from her life.

She had spent a long time beating herself up after the fact. Over her inability to find Nick, over her inability to get past the anguish she had felt at that. Over the fact she had been so… 'unlike herself', as her mother had put it.

'_Why did I have that dream now?_' Judy thought as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her gaze fell upon her uniform, hung neatly in the closet.

The uniform was very different to the one she had worn years ago. It was a blue police shirt and trousers. On each side of the collar of the shirt, there were four stars.

The rank insignia for the Chief of Police.

'_Sometimes, I really hate this job_,' Judy thought to herself as she swung her legs out of bed. Without Nick and with a son, she needed security. So, she buried herself in her work, and because of that, she began climbing the ranks of the ZPD. Bogo was chosen to become Commissioner, a position created by the Mayor that would oversee the Precinct and act as the go-between for the ZPD and City Hall. Despite some past… grievances that some of her colleagues had held, she had beaten out the competition and become Chief. One of the things she had done was to reinstate the position of Deputy Chief, which she gave to the runner-up, Trisha Fangmeyer.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present and dressing herself, she checked herself in the long mirror affixed to the wall. Most days, she didn't like what was staring back at her, but she had a duty to fulfil.

Judy surveyed the living room as she stepped out into it. The apartment was the same apartment that she had since she moved in with Nick. For most mammals, that might have been reason enough to move away. But, for some reason, Judy didn't want to let go of the apartment. There were bad memories here, but there were some good ones too.

"Nicholas, you're going to be late for school," Judy called. Out of the room adjacent to her bedroom came a teenage rabbit. Or, it appeared to be, until one observed it for more than a few seconds. The first thing to note was the 'rabbit' was much taller than he should have been. His ears were shorter, narrower, with pointed tips. His muzzle was slightly longer, and his tail wasn't the typical rabbit's tail, longer but not as long as his father's tail. His fur was a light brown, as if it were mixed from the colours of his parents. He had his mother's eyes.

The 'rabbit', Nicholas, was Judy's son, and Nick's.

"You're not even dressed yet," Judy remarked, a frown on her face. Nicholas was in loose trousers and a vest.

"Whatever," Nicholas grumbled. He retreated in to his bedroom.

At a first glance, anybody would assume that Nicholas was simply going through the typical teenage years – rebelling against parents, acting moody and irritable, being defiant… Judy believed there was more to it than that. He had become a troublemaker. She didn't have enough fingers to count the number of times he had been brought to her at work, because it had happened so often in the past couple of years. It wasn't even that he had fallen in with the wrong crowd either – as far as she knew, he didn't have any friends at school – when he went, that was. She was willing to admit that because of her job, she wasn't able to spend much time with him. Care sometimes fell to her family. But she also suspected that his unusual nature was also at play here.

* * *

"Here we are," Judy pulled up in her car at the entrance to St. Barks High School. Because of his truancy, she had made it a point to drop him off and collect him every day these past few weeks. Nicholas was sat in the back, uninterested in anything.

"Well, you'd better get going," Judy remarked. Nicholas scoffed, opened the door and hauled himself out of the car. The door slammed shut and Judy watched him go in to the school gates. Satisfied, she pulled the car out of the spot and headed for Precinct One.

Little did she know, Nicholas had waited for her to go, before turning around and leaving the school.

* * *

A short distance away from her apartment, in the heart of Zootopia's Savanna Central district, sat Precinct One. In an age of progress, the building had only minor updates to it in order to keep it functional, while the surrounding buildings had evolved over the course of time.

As Judy stepped into the Precinct, some of her officers caught sight of her and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Morning, Chief!" came the call of Benjamin Clawhauser from the desk. The portly cheetah had been a permanent fixture of the front desk ever since Judy had been at Precinct One. He was starting to show his age now, grey spreading from his muzzle.

"Morning, Clawhauser," Judy nodded back. She headed for her office, situated on the second floor of the Precinct. Inside was Commissioner Bogo, sat in the chair opposite her own. His forehead had wrinkled from the frowning he had done over the years as Chief himself.

"Chief Hopps," Bogo acknowledged her.

"Commissioner Bogo," Judy returned as she clambered into her chair, "to what do we owe the pleasure today?"

"Just a routine stop, Hopps," Bogo answered.

"Everything is going fine," Judy said, "We're doing well for arrests and prevention. I'll have my report for that ready by the end of the month."

"Good," Bogo replied quietly. "And the family?"

Judy's nose twitched briefly as she considered what to tell him.

"About the same," Judy said finally.

"My boys went through the rebellious stage when they were Nicholas' age," Bogo reminisced. "It's tough, but he'll get through it. So will you."

"Sometimes, I wonder," Judy sighed. "Sometimes, I wish I could be the old me, but…"

"The perils of the office you hold," Bogo nodded, "and I know them well."

Judy's eyes flicked to a photo on her desk. It was of a younger Nicholas, taken during a somewhat happier time. He was four, and the photo was in Bunnyburrow, with Nicholas playing with some of his cousins. Even then, he was taller than them, but back then, they didn't question it.

"Sometimes, I feel lost," Judy admitted.

"Lost, Hopps?" Bogo repeated.

"I'm forty-two and on my own. Have been since…" Judy paused for a moment, deciding to leave it unsaid. "This job just gets lonely sometimes. All I wanted to do was make the world a better place, but…"

"We aren't going to repeat you handing your badge in eighteen years back, are we?" Bogo raised an eyebrow. Judy stared hard at him.

"No," Judy denied, "I know this job's important, but I… I don't know…"

"Judy," Bogo said, "you are not alone. Whatever you decide to do, I stand by your choices."

Judy sucked in a breath.

"Akida, what if I said I was thinking about resigning as Chief?" Judy asked.

"Do you think becoming Chief was a mistake?" Bogo asked.

"No… but I know I've made mistakes," Judy acknowledged. "Boy, have I made them."

"Is this about… Wilde?" Bogo put forward.

"In a roundabout way, I guess it _could_ be," Judy gritted her teeth.

"He _did_ resign and vanish," Bogo pointed out.

"And I did what I could to find him," Judy said, "to put things _right_. Even then, I couldn't get it out of his fennec friend or his mother."

"Judy, that was _fifteen years ago_," Bogo emphasised. "You have to stop beating yourself up over what's done, and move on."

"It's harder every day," Judy said, "because I'm starting to see him more and more in my son. The things Viola Wilde told me about Nick's teenage years… and it's not typical teenage rebelliousness. You know how many times I've seen him brought _here_ because he was causing trouble, or pulling some hustle? What kind of Chief am I if I can't even keep my own son under control? What kind of _mother_ am I?"

"I'm starting to fear you _might_ be handing your badge in," Bogo breathed heavily. "Judy, I know Nicholas' birth wasn't the most _conventional_, but you have done the best you can under the circumstances. Don't beat yourself up about that."

Judy kept Bogo's gaze for a moment longer. She nodded again.

'_Time to change the subject,_' Judy thought.

"So… what's on the docket today?" Judy put on a pair of glasses to read the paper in front of her.

"Mainly smaller crimes," Bogo remarked. "A burglar broke into Gnu York Electronics but got away empty-handed, there was an attempted ram-raid of the banyan Street Convenience Store, and a gang have begun to cause nuisances in Happytown."

"Sounds like this will be fun," Judy sighed, picking up the docket. She made her way to the door but paused as her paw reached the handle.

"Thank you, Akida," Judy said, "for hearing a dumb old bunny out."

Bogo nodded in acknowledgment and Judy left the room.

* * *

Mid-afternoon, Judy was back in her office, reading reports. She had to check herself from falling asleep out of boredom or allowing her mind to drift to times gone, when she was out there herself.

'_How could this be just as boring as writing them?_' Judy wondered. The report in question was to do with a car collision that took place just outside Savanna Central Station the day prior. The responding officer was fairly new, one from the last intake, as the report indicated.

'_A need to impress… where have I seen that one before?_' Judy thought shrewdly.

A knock came at the door.

"Enter," Judy looked up from her desk, taking her glasses off. The door opened and the figure of Stan Fangmeyer, Trisha Fangmeyer's younger brother, stepped inside. The tiger usually carried an amused air about him, but he was not amused this time. Beside him was Nicholas, wearing a scowl that made it plain he was not happy at being caught.

'_Again,_' Judy added mentally. She resisted the urge to raise a paw and pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

'_Can this boy go one day without getting himself into trouble?_' Judy thought.

"Thank you, Officer Fangmeyer," Judy sighed. "Could you leave us alone for a minute?"

"Yes, ma'am," Fangmeyer stepped outside the room, shutting the door behind him. Judy got off her chair and approached Nicholas. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Well?" Judy said.

"'Well', what?" Nicholas answered back.

"Don't answer me back," Judy warned, allowing an icy edge to her voice. "Tell me what it is this time. Did you steal something? Did you get into a fight? I can't see any ruffled fur and you're not in cuffs, so please tell me you didn't at least do something illegal!"

"Why do you care?" Nicholas replied in a snarky tone. "Think I'm embarrassing your position, _Chief_?"

This wasn't the first time Nicholas had thrown that particular accusation in her face. The first few times she had taken this from him had stung, and it had fed into her uncertainties as of late, but she had to admit: she was starting to become weary of having it thrown at her.

"I'm not just the Chief, Nicholas!" Judy protested. "And I _care_ because I'm your _mother_! You're fourteen years old, for Fox's sake!" Judy crossed her arms, "I care less about you embarrassing me in my position than I do that you've taken to your fox side! You've taken on the worst of your fa…"

She got no further before Nicholas angrily cut across her.

"I'm _nothing_ like that coward, so don't even _mention_ his name to me!" Nicholas snarled, with his fists balled. The snarl revealed the fangs beside his front teeth.

Judy took a steady breath.

"Heaven knows I've tried to tackle this," Judy said. "I've tried to get you to _open up to me_ and tell me what is going on. At the rate you're going, you'll end up in jail."

'_Or worse,_' Judy added on in her thoughts, '_I don't want to have to see you put in the hospital!_'

"And you'll put me there?" Nicholas scoffed. "Some mother you are." He turned to leave.

"Get back here, Nicholas! We're not done yet," Judy growled.

Nicholas let out a breath through his nose and spun back around.

"What are you going to do? Ground me?" he mocked. Judy's scowl deepened.

"I'll do worse than that," Judy said. "I'll send you to your grandmother's."

Nicholas' eyes widened slightly at those words.

'_That got your attention,_' Judy thought. Bonnie Hopps might appear to be soft and caring, but she had a strict side when she needed it. Judy knew it, and Nicholas knew it too. It was all from the experience of raising almost three hundred kits. She wouldn't even take nonsense from Stu, and Stu was her husband.

Judy knew there was something else at play here, as well: his _other_ grandmother. She knew that Viola Wilde was dying. She knew what was causing her deteriorating condition: an inoperable brain tumour that had, these past few weeks, even started to rob her of her memories. Judy hadn't dared go around there herself, but she had been more than happy to let Nicholas form a relationship with Viola.

Now that relationship was gone, robbed by something that Judy couldn't just have arrested. Viola only recognised the 'nice young rabbit boy who comes to see her'. Sooner or later, she would be gone completely. Judy shuddered to think how much worse Nicholas would be after that.

"Look…" Judy stepped forward, "I know it's hard."

"No, you don't," Nicholas answered back.

"What?" Judy blinked.

"You _don't_!" Nicholas repeated, his voice louder this time, "_You're_ not the freak of nature that should never have been born!"

"You're not a freak!" Judy protested, taken aback by the sudden outburst. "And why do you think you shouldn't have been born?"

"Oh, I'm _not_?" Nicholas rounded on her. "What do you call me? I'm not a fox, and I'm not a rabbit. I've tried living both ways. You know the last time you took me to Grandma and Grandpa Hopps? I had some of my cousins have a go! 'Freak! Funny freak! Box freak! Abomination! You shouldn't have been born!' You don't know what it's like because you're too busy with your job!"

"I'm _trying_, Nicholas!" Judy said. "I'm trying to be there for you!"

"You job just gets in the way," Nicholas snarled.

"No, _you_ won't let me!" Judy pointed a finger at Nicholas. "How am I supposed to be there for you when you won't _let me in_?!"

Nicholas opened his mouth to retort but seemed to think better of it. Judy stepped up to him. She grabbed his shoulders.

"I'm your _mother_!" Judy said. "First and foremost, _you_ come first, no matter what I do here. And I've _tried_ to be there. But you're just as closed off as your father was."

Nicholas let out a snort, though he allowed the comment about his father to slide.

"When are you going to tell me about that?" Nicholas demanded, "You tell me that _he_ ran away before I was born, but I've heard that you two had an argument! I've heard _whispers_ when I'm in Bunnyburrow!"

"A moment ago, you told me not to even mention him," Judy said.

"I want the truth!" Nicholas raised his voice.

"It's…" Judy began, "it's complicated. One day, I'll tell you everything, but right now, you're too…"

"Too young and too conflicted," Nicholas finished bitterly. He had heard this before.

"I'm sorry, Son." Judy said, "I really am. I know it's been so much harder from you since learning that Grandma Wilde is…"

Nicholas looked away.

"Whatever," Nicholas said finally. "Can I go now, or do you want to grill me some more?"

Judy gave in to the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. Thoroughly exasperated, she nodded.

"Go," Judy said. "Just don't get yourself in any more trouble."

Nicholas glared at her for a moment longer before leaving, slamming the door behind him. Judy returned to her desk and opened the drawer where she kept a bottle of Furball Cinnamon Whisky. She wasn't a heavy drinker, but this job had given her a taste for it. She only drank when things got to her. She figured it was better than other vices she knew cops could get, and she did regulate herself.

Staring at the bottle, she decided this wasn't the right time, so she put it back and closed the drawer.

'_Why do I feel ten years older than I am at times like this?_' Judy wondered. Her eyes moved to the photo on her desk of the younger Nicholas, and as she had more times than she cared to admit, she found herself wondering where she had gone wrong.

'_Where's the Nicky I did my best to raise?_' Judy asked herself. She hadn't dared use the nickname for a long time.

Breaking her out of her thoughts, her phone buzzed. Picking it up, she found a message from Nicholas.

'_I'm going to be round Grandma Wilde's. Pick me up when you're finished._' It read.

Sighing heavily, Judy put the phone back on her desk and picked up the next report in the pile.

* * *

This chapter has the most obvious changes compared to the original, since I still needed the content and context of the material in the POV sections, but since I'm barred by self-decree from using those again, I had to re-frame them. The result actually winds up being a great deal longer than the original (this chapter is eight word-document pages compared to 5 of the original). Ironically, 'much shorter chapters' was the mantra I had for the original but that's not going to be the case for this version. I think it worked, but what do you guys think?


	3. Homecoming

Thanks to the reviewers: Mike900, GhostWolf88 (both AO3 and FFN), Victor John Foxfire, x_uve

* * *

**HOMECOMING**

The sights, sounds and smells of Zootopia were different to what Nick remembered, yet there was still something… _familiar_ about them. Reassuring, as if the city was telling him 'I might look different, but I'm the same underneath'.

Nick wasn't entirely sure that reassurance worked. The animosity that he had was long evaporated, but he hadn't been brave enough to bring himself back to the city.

He regretted that the moment he heard his mother was dying. His thoughts had been consumed by what he should expect on the ride over to the Rainforest District.

"We're here," the cab driver said as he pulled up outside the giant artificial tree stump that housed an apartment building. Credit where credit was due: when Nick was last here, the artificial stump looked dirty and some of the apartments were worse for wear, both inside and out. It seemed that whoever owned the building now had decided to clean it up so it wasn't an eyesore.

The apartment that Viola occupied was one of the larger apartments in the base of the building. Nick stared at the door, wondering what he was about to face.

"Twenty bucks, pal," the cab driver announced the total for the ride, breaking Nick from his thoughts. He fished out his wallet and handed him the money before getting out of the cab, Robin following suit. The driver popped the boot and Nick retrieved their bags. Closing the boot, Nick once again faced the apartment as the cab drove off.

"Well, here we are," Nick remarked, steeling himself.

"Are you alright, Dad?" Robin asked.

Nick had to repress the urge to reply with a simple 'no'.

"I'll be fine," Nick turned a smile to Robin. He faced forward, drew in a long breath and stepped forward, reaching the door of number 1955. Putting his bag down, he raised a paw and knocked. A long moment followed, and finally the door opened. Nick had to look down to see who was there.

The diminutive figure before them was Nick's old hustling buddy, Finnick. His real name was Fred Fenrickson, though he didn't like to hear his given name. The older fennec wore the same expression he always wore: one of perpetual annoyance. His eyes scanned up and down both Nick and Robin.

"You better come in," Finnick said after appraising Nick. Normally Nick would make a joke about the lack of a 'hello', but he didn't think the situation was right. Nick and Robin picked up their bags and entered.

"Gotta warn ya, it ain't a pretty sight," Finnick remarked solemnly as he led them into the living room. The place was just as Nick remembered it. The walls were still decorated in the same tropical-print wallpaper. The couches looked a little more worn than the last time Nick had been here.

"Viola, you have a visitor," Finnick remarked.

Nick's eyes were drawn to the figure sat in the single sofa chair. Viola Wilde looked terrible. Apart from her greying fur, which lacked the sheen Nick remembered, Nick noticed she looked much thinner, and the skin on her face was sunken. Her arms trembled as she tried to stand up. Finnick passed her a cane leaned up against the seat and she clambered to her feet, unsteadily making her way over to Nick.

"… Nicky?" Viola said.

"Hi, Ma," Nick replied, attempting to keep his emotions in check, "I'm home."

'_I wish I had come home sooner._'

Viola closed the small distance between them and reached for Nick around the waist, pulling him into a hug.

"You came home," Viola whispered, tears streaming down her face. "You're really here… I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Ma," Nick allowed a tear to fall. The pair stayed like that, mother and son, for a while before Viola let Nick go. Robin bent down and picked Viola's cane, passing it to her.

"Thank you, young lad," Viola smiled weakly. "You look… just like your father when he was your age."

"You remember him?" Nick asked. He didn't know just what his mother remembered or not.

"I'm not all gone, Nicky," Viola smiled sadly. "Where's your mate? I've been looking forward to meeting her in person… what was her name, again?"

Nick stiffened slightly, and Robin's face fell.

"Ma… Skye passed last year," Nick told her.

"Oh…" Viola replied. "Oh, Nicky, I am sorry." Her face became distressed, and she added: "You told me, didn't you? Oh, Nicky, I'm…"

Nick put a paw on her shoulder.

"Ma, it's okay," Nick said sympathetically. "I know."

"They tell me I've only got weeks left," Viola said as she slowly ambled back to her seat and descended into it. "I… I didn't want you to see me like this. I wanted you to remember the _good_…"

"How long, Ma?" Nick asked. "Please, just tell me how long you've known?"

"I've known for a year," Viola answered. "First, I was forgetting to do things. I thought it was just old age."

"You're not old, Ma," Nick replied.

"I might be dying, and I might have this thing in my head, but your lies could never fool me, Nicky," Viola let a small, sad chuckle escape her lips. "I started getting these trembles. And the headaches… sometimes I thought I might pass out from them. Frederick went with me to the appointments and he's been visiting me to help… there's this nice young hare boy that… I must have known him, maybe I met him somewhere… but he visits a lot. He's not a bad jack, but I think he has problems at home…"

Nick smiled sadly. Viola had volunteered at a shelter when she was younger. That was how Nick remembered her: always willing to give mammals a chance. Nick did feel concern, however, at this unknown jack entering her life at such a precarious stage. He glanced at Finnick, communicating silently with him.

'_Has anything gone missing?_' was Nick's intention.

Finnick shook his head, and Nick was satisfied: if Finnick hadn't seen anything go missing, then odds were that it was true. He had a protective streak as far as Viola was concerned.

"Nicky, your taste in suits is still terrible," Viola chuckled, bringing Nick out of his thoughts.

"This?" Nick indicated. "I just threw it on."

"Some things never change," Viola smiled weakly. "If you changed your shirt and tie, you'd be dressed for a funeral."

'_Maybe I am,_' Nick added mentally, but not wanting to voice it for fear of upsetting his mother.

"I hope you don't mean mine," Viola continued on, as if she had read Nick's mind. "I know it's coming, but I don't want you to mourn me. I want to be remembered as I was, during the good times."

* * *

Nick had stowed his bag in what was his old room. The bed was still there. He offered to take the couch, in order to give the bed to Robin at night. He had removed his jacket and loosened his tie.

"I don't need a babysitter," Viola insisted, "I'll be fine."

"I'm just here to be with you," Nick answered. "Besides, we'd have to find a hotel."

"I don't mean to throw you out, Nicky," Viola said. "I just don't want to be pitied or treated with kid gloves."

"I promise I won't do either of those," Nick vowed. He left Viola in the living room and found Finnick in the kitchen, fixing hot drinks. Tea was a favourite of Viola's. It always had been. When Nick drank it, he usually liked it black, without any milk or sweeteners, but overall, he preferred coffee.

"Hey, Fin…" Nick said. "Thank you for looking out for Ma."

"'S nothin', Nick," Finnick answered. "Your Ma did the same for me once. She a sweet lady, Nick."

"Under different circumstances, I might have had something to say about that," Nick remarked.

"Yeah, I know ya," Finnick agreed, "Probably be somethin' like I'm chasin' her skirt."

"Now, that would be disrespectful," Nick said. "You'd be lucky to reach it."

A small smirk appeared on his face, as Finnick glared at him.

"Yeah, missed you too, buddy," Nick remarked.

As Finnick placed the cups on a tray, Nick turned to him.

"Any idea who this jack who's been coming round is?" Nick asked.

"I've seen him around, but I've been busy with _my_ business, Nick," Finnick replied. Finnick ran an ice cream stand. Nick had noted the irony some time ago, since that was originally the hustle that he and Nick had pulled off. "Nobody I know knows who he is, but they probably don't care about some kid anyway."

"Well, I'll keep an eye out for him," Nick said.

He helped Finnick in with the drinks and sat down in the seat adjacent to his mother. There was relative silence as they drank at first, but Viola broke the silence.

"Are you going to be doing anything while you're here, Nicky?" Viola asked. "Your boy hasn't seen the city before. It'd be nice to take him around it."

"I'm just going to be here for you, Ma," Nick answered. "I'll… take care of things after, then head home."

Viola smiled sadly.

A knock came at the door. Finnick went to get up.

"That's okay, I've got it," Nick said, putting his drink down and heading for the front door. He opened it to find a curious sight before him.

His first thought was that this was the jack that Viola had told him about, but there were a few things that were off. The ears were wrong – jacks had large, rounded ears – even larger than rabbits' ears, but this 'jack' had shorter, narrower ears with pointed tips. The muzzle was wrong – it was a little longer and wider than it should be. He noted the 'jack' also had a stubby, narrower tail that was longer than it should have been.

The last thing that Nick was drawn to were his eyes. Brilliant purple eyes. He had seen those eyes before. _Known_ them.

The oddities of the 'jack' started to pile on top of other in Nick's mind. Pushing his suspicions aside, he spoke as if he was completely unaware of just who this youngster was.

"You the jack that's been helping Ma out?" Nick asked. "Thanks for taking care of her for…"

The 'jack', his face a mask of rage, swung a fist straight at Nick and he evaded it.

"Whoa, bud, what's your problem?" Nick remarked. The commotion had caused both Robin and Finnick to emerge from the living room to observe.

The enraged youth, teeth bared – Nick noted that he had canines like a fox – turned and fled.

"No, you don't…" Nick ran forward and caught hold of the youth by the arm.

"I said 'what's your problem?'" Nick said, a little angry. "You show up uninvited, you try to swing at me, and then make a run for it. What do you want? _Who are you?_"

"Let go of me!" the youth snarled. "Let go! My Mom is…"

"Your Mom could be the Energizer Bunny for all I care," Nick said, "but I have a thought on who she really might be."

The youth stopped struggling, but his face was still angry, his eyes boring into Nick.

"Figured it out, have you, _Dad_?" the youth said.

Caught off-guard by the comment, Nick let the youth go and he tumbled to the ground.

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter! Again, I hope this shows the 'same story, different execution' I was going for.


	4. The Son

Thanks to the following people who commented on the previous chapter: GhostWolf88 (AO3 and FFN), sapperjoe85, BrutusDeagon, aomagrat, x_uve

* * *

**THE SON**

Nick could count on one paw the number of times that he had been stunned into silence. This was definitely one of those occasions. Everything Nick had noted now made _sense_.

"What…" Nick said, once he had regained his composure, "did you just say to me?"

"I said 'you're the deadbeat Dad who ran away when my Mom was carrying me'!" the youth said, picking himself off the ground.

"She… didn't…?" Nick began. He caught himself, before he let slip: '_She didn't go through with it_'.

There was another thought that entered Nick's mind after that one.

'_I have another Son._'

"'Didn't' what?" the youth snarled. "Come running after you, you waste of space?"

Nick decided not to rise to the jibe, but there was something he wanted to know.

"If you know who I am," Nick began, "then you know who Ma is. How long have you been visiting her?"

"What's it to you?" the youth retorted.

'_If Ma knew, why didn't she say something?_' Nick wondered. '_She doesn't know who this kid is __now__, so there's no point getting her upset over it… but still…_'

Realising that Viola had been keeping more than just her cancer secret from Nick did hurt, but he couldn't afford to let that get the better of him in a delicate situation.

'_Not like before._'

Taking a deep breath, Nick steadied his gaze.

"Here's what I'm going to do, kid," Nick said. "I'm going to take you back to your mother. We're going to come to some sort of arrangement."

"I'm going nowhere with you, and you're not going to stop me from seeing my Grandma," the youth snarled.

"I have no intention of doing that," Nick held a paw up, "but there are things that need to be said, and by goodness, I intend on saying them. Do you know where your mother is right now?"

"Why don't you walk right in to Precinct One and _ask_?" came the sarcastic reply.

"Well, that's a start," Nick fished his phone from his pocket and started dialling. Chances were that Judy had changed her phone number in the years since, but there was one phone number he _did_ know.

"_Good afternoon, this is the Zootopia Police Department Precinct One, you are through to Officer Benjamin Clawhauser. How may I direct your call?_" came the voice at the other end of the line.

'_Clawhauser… at least it's a familiar voice,_' Nick repressed a smile.

"Can you put me through to… Officer Hopps, please?" Nick asked.

"_Officer…?_" Clawhauser repeated, "_I'm sorry, sir, but you either must have been away for some time, or this is your first time in the city if you know Hopps but don't know…_"

"Don't know what, may I ask?" Nick interrupted. A small chuckle came from the other end of the line.

"'_Officer' Hopps is actually 'Chief' Hopps, sir!_" Clawhauser said.

'_Well, would you look at that,_' Nick thought to himself.

"Okay, can you put me through to 'Chief Hopps', please?" Nick asked.

"_I'm afraid that, unless it's an emergency, I can't interrupt her,_" Clawhauser said. "_She's currently busy with important business._"

'_Pretty sure I'm about to give her some different important business,_' Nick thought. He paused for a moment, considering what he could say that would possibly get Clawhauser to forward him through.

"Tell her it's about her son," Nick settled for that. It wasn't a lie.

A sigh came from the other end of the line. Nick guessed that Clawhauser had taken quite a few calls about him.

'_Hearing that weary sigh, I'm going to guess the boy is a lot of trouble,_' Nick deduced. He glanced at the still-angry hybrid.

"_Oh, Chief won't be happy…_" Clawhauser remarked. "_I probably shouldn't tell you this, but you wouldn't be the first to ask to speak to her about Nicholas._"

'_Nicholas? Did she… did she actually name him after me? Why?_' Nick's eyes flicked to the youth again, who held his angry scowl at him.

"_What's the issue, before I put you through?_" Clawhauser asked.

"The issue?" Nick repeated. "Well, I don't know if you can call it an 'issue', but you can tell her that he had an unexpected run in with his father."

Nick wondered if, by the silence, Clawhauser had suddenly died from the shock.

"_Nick Wilde?_" Clawhauser ventured.

"The one and only, Spots," Nick replied.

Nick anticipated the squeal about to come from the cheetah and held the phone away from his ear.

'_Some things really don't change,_' Nick held his smile in. He brought the phone back to his ear.

"_Well, I'll be blessed! Nick Wilde, back in Zootopia! We've gotta catch up sometime! Oh…_" Clawhauser's happy voice trailed off,"_I'm__ happy to hear from you, but I don't know if she's going to want to talk to you,_" Clawhauser said.

"She probably didn't expect me to meet the son I didn't know I had, so I think she _will_ want to talk," Nick replied.

"_Please don't be angry at her, Nick,_" Clawhauser pleaded.

"I'm not going to be," Nick answered. "Being angry isn't going to help either of us. Are you going to tell her it's me?"

"_I'll tell her it's an emergency, but if I tell her it's you, she'll either not believe me, or maybe she'll refuse to speak to you,_" Clawhauser explained.

"Does she hate me that much that she won't speak to me if she knows it's me?" Nick asked.

"_It's not that… I don't think the Chief hates you. It's just… it's been a long time,_" Clawhauser remarked.

"I know, Spots," Nick agreed, "Trust me, I know."

* * *

Judy was in her office, with the Assistant Mayor Jack Leopardon and Commissioner Bogo. They were discussing plans to recruit more Officers and expand the jurisdiction of Precinct One.

"So, we're in agreement?" Assistant Mayor Leopardon said.

"Yes, I think we are," Judy replied. "We'll take on an additional twenty Officers from the next recruitment, and expand our jurisdiction to the Financial Area."

"A provisional jurisdiction will be written in too, of course," Leopardon remarked. "If another Precinct looks like it could use the help, Precinct One will be within its right to assist in any manner necessary."

"Thank you, sir," Judy said.

"And with that… Bogo, Hopps," Leopardon got up out of his chair and shook each of their hands, right before leaving.

"Of course, you realise this means more work," Bogo said.

"Yes," Judy replied, "but this is something that we've been hoping to do for a while now."

"It also means an extra workload for Deputy Chief Fangmeyer if you _do_ decide to step down as Chief," Bogo pointed out.

"I've had this talk with her already and she's given me her support," Judy said.

The phone on Judy's desk rang and she looked at the caller ID. It simply read 'Call Waiting From Front Desk – External Hold'.

"Please don't let this be a complaint about Nicholas again," Judy whispered, a paw on her face in exasperation.

"I'll leave you to it," Bogo got up out of his chair. "We'll discuss this further later on." With that, Bogo left. Judy picked the phone up.

"What is it, Clawhauser?" Judy asked, feeling weary even as she asked the question.

"_Chief, there's somebody on the line who really needs to speak with you, urgently,_" Clawhauser replied.

"Okay," Judy sighed. "Put them through."

There was a brief click, indicating the call had been transferred.

"Chief Hopps," Judy announced. For a moment there was no answer, but the mammal on the other end of the line spoke after allowing that pause.

"_Long time, no speak, Carrots. We need to talk._"

For a moment, Judy was stunned. It was a voice and an old nickname she hadn't heard in a long, long time.

'_No, it couldn't be… well, it __could__ be if he knew about his mother, but…_'

"… Nick?" Judy ventured.

"_You __do__ remember me,_" Nick replied. "_We have a lot to discuss. And I mean that. I've just had an… interesting encounter with somebody you know._"

'_Oh, no…_' Judy thought to herself, '_If he's here to visit his Mother, and Nicholas went around there to see her… oh, no. Oh, no… he __knows__…_'

"_Is there a place we can speak in private?_" Nick asked, "_This isn't something we're gonna want to do over the phone._"

Nick was right: they had a lot to discuss.

"I still live in the same place," Judy said shakily. "We can talk there."

"_Peachy,_" Nick responded, and the line went dead. Judy stare at the handset for a little while longer, before replacing it and pressing the button that connected her to the front desk.

"Clawhauser, I'm going to take my lunch now," Judy remarked. "I might… be a while."

"_Yeah, got it,_" Clawhauser replied, almost robotically. Judy had to remind herself that he had probably spoken to Nick before passing the call through.

* * *

Nick hung up.

"Hey, Nick, you okay?" Finnick emerged from the house, glaring at Nicholas.

"Today has been a lot to take in," Nick replied. "Hey, Fin, could you do me a big favour? Can you keep an eye on Robin for me while I go take care of this?"

"Sure," Finnick replied.

"Robin?" Nicholas remarked, comprehension dawning on him. "Oh, _that's_ how it is, is it?" Nicholas said. Nick turned his attention back to him.

"You ran off to father a son with _somebody else_ rather than stay with the son you had?" Nicholas snarled, "You're pathetic."

"Watch your mouth, _foxbunny_," Finnick growled.

"Fin, it's okay," Nick remarked, holding both paws up to calm the small fennec.

"Nicky, what's going on?" Viola stepped outside shakily. She spotted Nicholas laying on the ground.

"That's him." Viola frowned, "That's the young jack who's been visiting."

"Ma…" Nick said. "This isn't a 'jack'. It's…" Nick paused for a moment, considering what to say next. "It's best if I tell you later. Could you go back inside, please? I wouldn't ask, but… I need to have a private word with him."

"Okay…" Viola said, ambling back inside. When she was out of earshot, Nick turned back to Finnick.

"Watch yourself, Nick," Finnick warned.

"Will do," Nick nodded. He faced Nicholas.

"Well, it's time to get you home, then," Nick said.

"I'm going nowhere with you," Nicholas growled. The phone in his pocket beeped, indicating a message. Nicholas took it out and read it.

'_Head home,_' it read. It was from his mother. Scowling at Nick, he turned and stormed away. Nick shook his head.

'_How am I going to handle this?_' Nick thought to himself as he fished his own phone out of his pocket and dialled the number for the Zootopia Taxi Service. As he did so, the District's artificial rain kicked in.

'_Brilliant,_' Nick thought to himself, '_I hope this isn't an indication of things to come._'

* * *

And that's a wrap for this chapter! Another one where I changed the story around a bit, which was partly a given since I changed the previous chapter to include Finnick rather than treating him like a chauffeur.

See you all again soon!


	5. The Long-Awaited Meeting

And now, here's the moment of truth for Nick and Judy.

Thanks to the following people who commented on the previous chapter: GhostWolf88 (FFN and AO3), Sapperjoe85, seakard, aomagrat, Spectra98, x_uve

* * *

**THE LONG-AWAITED MEETING**

"_Why are you here?"_

_To say that Viola Wilde was not pleased to see her at her front door would have been obvious, but Judy felt it was right to try. It had been ten years since they had last spoken._

"_Because you have a right to know your Grandchild," Judy replied. "I couldn't… I couldn't find Nick, but…"_

_She had left Nicholas with Bonnie, who had come into Zootopia to visit, while she made this visit. It was Bonnie who had encouraged her to extend the olive branch, for Nicholas' sake. Judy had been putting this off for years. Raising a child by oneself was not easy by any means, and Judy had suffered… issues. She was lucky to have a family that had helped her through it, even if they had made it clear they were absolutely against the actions Judy had taken which had instigated the situation in the first place._

_Viola studied Judy with a neutral expression on her face._

"_You're hoping that… what?" Viola crossed her arms. "That I'll pass on a message?"_

"_Yes! No! I don't know!" Judy replied. "I just wanted to try and make things right!" Judy protested._

"_You're a bit late for that," Viola replied, "though I suppose the thought is better late than never."_

"_Look, you don't know everything that happened!" Judy said, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. "You don't know! I know I was a… an idiot, a dumb bunny, out of my mind with worry… and I…"_

"_I'm not the one you should be telling this to," Viola remarked. "And I don't think you are so stupid as to think this isn't long overdue."_

"_I know…" Judy replied._

_Viola let out a breath._

"_Come in," Viola relented, stepping aside._

* * *

"_I was just… so scared," Judy said, wiping away a tear with a tissue Viola had passed her. "I had no idea what it was going to do to me, not truly. My head filled with all these… worst-case scenarios and… I acted like they were true."_

_Viola sighed._

"_Don't get me wrong: I think you are both as stupid over this as each other," Viola said, "but now I have your side of the story, I can't pretend I don't understand just a little bit of what you were going through."_

"_But I can't even begin to make things right!" Judy protested._

"_Belated it may be, and believe me, it __is__ very belated, you've taken your first step," Viola answered. "What you do next is what counts most."_

_Viola picked out her diary, scribbled down something on a page, tore it out and passed it to Judy. It was a number._

"_You're going to have to take that step on your own," Viola remarked. "Just be aware that you might not like what you hear either."_

"… _will you tell him?" Judy asked._

"_You're the one who's going to have to do that," Viola said. "It's __your__ place to talk to him, and it's going to be better coming from you than it is from me."_

* * *

_Four years passed after that conversation. Judy had, on many occasions, started to dial the number Viola had given her for Nick. On one occasion, she even dialled it successfully, only to hang up a moment later, before there was even an answer._

_Shame, and guilt, and disgust at herself, kept her from talking to Nick. The irony was she felt all the worse every time she chickened out._

_She did know that Viola had tried on her end to get Nick to 'come home', even if 'just for a visit'. It was her way of trying to get Nick to meet the son that he should know he had, even if Nick and Judy did not leave each other on good terms._

_And then, the worst happened._

* * *

"_I said, 'it's a brain tumour'," Viola said matter-of-factly. They were sat in a small café not far from Precinct One. Viola's revelation had Judy stunned into silence. This wasn't something she expected at all._

"_They said that where they found it, it's going to affect my memories," Viola continued. "I don't know __how__. I could just forget who I am, where I live, who I've met…"_

"_Does Nick know?" Judy asked._

"_You care enough to ask that," Viola remarked, "but you haven't contacted him to tell him about his Son."_

"_I'm…" Judy began. "It's complicated."_

"_Is that 'rabbit speak' for something, or is that an excuse?" Viola raised an eyebrow. "It's just as well I've been trying to get him to come home… but…"_

"_But he has a new life now, I get it," Judy replied. "Why haven't __you__ told Nick?" Judy asked._

"_I've not started forgetting important things yet, Miss Hopps," Viola responded. "I remember saying that it was up to you to tell him, not me. I tell him and he __maybe__ comes home angry that he wasn't told sooner, and that it didn't come from you. Same as this… it's up to me to tell him. Maybe if I get better, but… they're going to try, anyway, and I'll tell him afterwards, if it works. He'll probably be upset with me for a bit for not telling him straight away, but I think he'd be happier to know I was alright."_

"_And if it doesn't get better?" Judy asked. "What then?"_

"_If it doesn't, then I'll… have to tell him," Viola answered, "but I'm hoping I can convince him to come home before it comes to that anyway."_

* * *

Judy stood anxiously at the window of her apartment, waiting for her visitor to arrive. Thinking back, she wished she had done something sooner. Just another guilt on top of what was already there. Viola had forgotten who Nicholas was, and that made Nicholas worse than he already was. On top of that, despite her efforts, Viola had not succeeded in getting Nick to come to Zootopia, at least until now.

She had done what she could to stifle Nicholas' wayward thoughts, but as he got older, the questions started coming more and more, and alongside those came the insults from those who didn't understand what he was, how _unique_ he was. Judy found herself unable to answer, either because of her own shame, or her lack of knowledge or experience. Soon, that lack of satisfying answers started to consume Nicholas, and no matter what Judy did, it didn't seem to be enough to reassure Nicholas that she did care about him and that, once he had calmed down enough, she would tell him the truth.

The choice of when wasn't hers to make any more.

A cab pulled up outside the apartment building. One of the rear doors opened and Judy watched as a fox in a black suit and green shirt stepped out from it. His gaze tracked to her window and he paused for a moment. Judy noticed that Nick was alone and she started to worry about where Nicholas might be.

It was impossible for Judy to tell what he was thinking. He broke the gaze and headed into the building. Judy made sure to unlock the door. After a few minutes, there was a brief knock on the door, before it opened and Nick stepped in.

Judy was half-expecting a cocky, confident Nick to appear before her, or an angry one, but Nick was neither of those. To Judy, he looked somewhat deflated.

'_He's just found out his mother is dying, and that he has a son,_' Judy thought.

"Where's Nicholas?" Judy asked.

"He didn't want to take the cab with me," Nick replied. "I think he's built up this image in his head of what I am, and he didn't want to give me the chance to say anything. I thought it was best to talk to _you_ first."

Nick looked around, taking note of the way the place was decorated. It wasn't that different from how he remembered it

"You didn't redecorate, I see," Nick indicated to the tropical leaf-print wallpaper.

"I liked it," Judy replied. "It reminded me of…" she trailed off. Nick said nothing. His face remained in neutral as he headed for the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards.

"No new crockery either," Nick said, as he took a glass from the cupboard over to the sink and filled it with water. He took it over to Judy and handed it to her. She stared at Nick's paw for a moment before accepting the glass.

"Thanks," Judy murmured. She took a gulp from it.

"Sit with me," Nick said, as he sat on the sofa. He leaned forward his elbows on his knees, looking pensive as Judy sat on the sofa, putting a bit of distance between the two of them.

For some time, all they did was stare at each other, but then the guilt and shame started to come back for Judy. She tried to fight it, to keep herself together, but this was something that she couldn't stop. Tears beaded at the corners of her eyes, tears she so desperately didn't want to fall, but _knew_ they had to. She began weeping, losing her composure. Nick wasn't expecting this from Judy, and it took him by surprise, but he leaned across and placed a tentative paw on her shoulder.

"Hey…" Nick said gently, "Hey, I came here prepared for… I don't know what, to be honest, but not _this_."

"I'm… sorry…" Judy sobbed. "I should have come to you first… we were supposed to be partners and I pushed you away instead… I'm sorry that I couldn't be strong and find you to try and put things right… I'm sorry you had to find everything out this way…"

Tears streamed down Judy's face as she choked between sobs.

"I wasn't expecting this…" Nick replied. "Don't know _what_ I was expecting, to be fair…"

"I know you hate me, and I know nothing I can say will ever put things right…" Judy said.

"Judy…" Nick sighed, rubbing his head, "I don't hate you."

"You should," Judy said. "And you'd have every right to. This has been…" Judy sniffed, "maybe it's been at the back of my mind all this time. There's this voice inside that says I should be angry at you… but I'm angry at myself more than anything. You have every right to hate me for what I did," Judy said, wiping at her eyes, "and you have every right to throw what I say back in my face."

"No," Nick replied. "I don't think so. I think you've punished yourself more than I could even think to. And besides, we're _both_ to blame. I thought there was a chance I might hate you the moment I saw you again, but… it's just not there."

There was silence, punctuated only by Judy's tears.

"Do you remember what happened eighteen years ago?" Nick asked. "When you came to me under that bridge?"

"Y… yes," Judy hiccoughed.

"Good, because this feels like that to me," Nick said. "Maybe I'm an idiot. Maybe I'm just weak to bunny tears. Maybe it's both. _Definitely_ an idiot, because I didn't bring a carrot pen this time."

Nick's attempt at a joke earned a choked sob from Judy.

"You… did you meet somebody else?" Judy hiccoughed.

"I did." Nick admitted, "Since we're going to have to be honest with each other… yes."

Judy stayed silent for a moment, a silent tear falling.

'_What right have I to be angry at him for moving on? I'm a dumb, dumb bunny…_' Judy thought.

"I felt like I was just… stumbling around in the dark after… what happened," Nick explained. "I had gone away, just to clear my head for a bit. That was where I met Skye… she was… patient. Kind. Amazing. She made me realise that I still had a heart, that it worked. I won't lie: I loved her. I loved her, and that love was all the stronger because I never thought I could love again, after you."

Nick bowed his head.

"It didn't last," Nick said, letting out a chuckle that almost sounded like a sob, "How can anything I'm involved with last?"

"What happened?" Judy asked.

"She's… gone. Gone where nobody can follow her," Nick answered.

"Oh… Oh, Nick… I'm so sorry…" Judy said, feeling fresh tears coming.

"Don't be," Nick answered, a sad smile on his face. "I'm grateful to her just being in my life, because without her, I might have become a bitter old fox who grew to hate everything. I've been there once already, and it's not a nice place to be. Instead, she gave me the strength I needed to forgive. And she gave me something I didn't think I would ever have."

"You have another child, don't you?" Judy asked.

"Yes," Nick acknowledged, "a boy. His name is Robert, though he likes to be called Robin. I didn't bring him with me, just in case this got heated. Fin's looking after him. I'd like you to meet him. For what it's worth, I've never offloaded any of my issues with you onto him. He knows I came from Zootopia, and he knows I loved somebody else before his mother, but he's just a kid. I'm guessing that's the reason you didn't tell Nicholas why I left."

Nick sighed, letting his arms fall between his knees. Unbeknownst to either of them, the front door had creaked open slightly while they were occupied.

"I had this fancy speech all mapped out in my head. 'A lie by omission is still a lie' and all that," Nick continued on, "But I had a bit of time to think about it on the way over here, and I realise I'm no better, and it's not something that Robin or Nicholas need to know right now. It'll only hurt them to know."

Judy stared at her feet.

"What happened back then was…" Nick began. He sucked in a breath, before continuing on: "I was angry when I confronted you. I was upset. I should have known better. Hybridization like our son… it's not something that happens often, and I can count on zero paws how many fox-bunny Crosses I know of. I should have noticed how scared it made you."

"I was scared, Nick…" Judy said, wiping away a fresh set of tears. "I had all these horrible thoughts… I thought that I would give birth to something horrible, or something that would suffer, or that the effort would kill me, or the child, or both of us… I did go to the doctor, but she told me that my fears were unfounded… why didn't I book that appointment a week earlier? Why didn't I tell you?"

"You weren't thinking straight," Nick answered. "And my temper got the better of me. I am not proud of that. I should have known better. I should have tried to calm you down, but instead I made things worse. Something _broke_ between us. Maybe it's broken forever."

"No, I don't think that's right…" Judy replied. "Shouldn't we at least try and make things right between us?"

"After all this time, you still know what I'm thinking," Nick replied, a sad smile on his face. "And I can start making things right on my side by apologising for what _I_ did," he gritted his teeth. Swallowing what remained of his pride, he continued: "I should never have called you a liar, or a baby killer. I shouldn't have accused you of putting your career first. I shouldn't have said I wished I never met you. I shouldn't have said you were dead to me."

Nick's eyes were filled with regret, something Judy recognised from every glance in the mirror she had made.

"A part of me still cares for you after all this time, Judy," Nick said, "I guess that's the part I mistook for hate. I really want things to be okay, but they're not. It's going to take work."

Judy wiped a tear away.

"Can we start off as friends, at least?" Judy asked.

Nick let out a breath through his nose.

"You know what?" Nick replied, "I think we could both use a friend right now."

* * *

Nicholas had been standing at the door, with it ajar, for a few minutes, listening to what both Nick and Judy were saying. He knew his mother had been crying, and part of him wanted to burst right in there and hit Nick, but he refrained from doing so.

"I was scared, Nick…" his mother said, wiping away a fresh set of tears. "I had all these horrible thoughts… I thought that I would give birth to something horrible, or something that would suffer, or that the effort would kill me, or the child, or both of us… I did go to the doctor, but she told me that my fears were unfounded… why didn't I book that appointment a week earlier? Why didn't I tell you?"

Nicholas reeled at hearing that. It was something that was so clear to Nicholas, in line with what he had heard from tormentors previously.

'_You should never have been born._'

'_Freak._'

'_Nobody wanted you._'

The dots connected so easy, so effortlessly, that Nicholas didn't quite understand what the thought meant at first.

Then the words all came together, and Nicholas' mind translated it for him:

'_Mother wanted to abort me._'

Then the comprehension dawned on him. And with it, he felt a mixture of different emotions.

Anger. Betrayal. Disgust. Pain. Moroseness.

Angry tears welled in Nicholas' eyes. Blood thundered in his ears and he couldn't hear the rest of what was said. His foot flew out and struck the door, and it swung into the apartment's walls with a crash. Nick and Judy looked up, catching sight of Nicholas.

He glared at them both, his teeth gritted as white-hot anger flared up within him. His tears dropped down his face and hit the floor as Nicholas spun around and ran for the stairs.

"Nicholas, wait!" Judy got up and ran after him. However, Nicholas was faster, and by the time Judy reached the bottom of the stairs, Nicholas had vanished.

* * *

And that's a wrap on this chapter. I could just copy in the AN from the original story to explain this, but it all comes down to this: I don't think either Nick or Judy has it in them to truly hate, and I tried to write something that feels like it could have come from the same overall place as the apology/forgiveness part of the film.


	6. Wilde And Son's

Thanks to the reviewers as always: Victor John Foxfire, GhostWolf88 (FFN and AO3), DeadDireWolf, AwesomeFox99, x_uve, Spectra98, miceaholic, The Wildehopps Protection Agency (WHPA)

* * *

**WILDE AND SON'S**

Judy had traipsed back up to the apartment after Nicholas had run away. She had not been able to keep up with him and he had disappeared by the time she had reached the entrance hallway.

'_Oh, no… oh, no… what did he hear?_' Judy's thoughts echoed. She knew he had not heard the entire conversation, so his understanding of it was going to be limited. He could only have heard the bad parts.

Nick was at the apartment door, concern etched on his face.

"He's gone! What do we do?" Judy cried out. "What if he does something stupid?!"

Nick breathed in steadily. He resisted the brief urge to reach out and place a paw on her shoulder.

"First, we are not going to panic," Nick said.

"How can I _not_ panic?!" Judy answered, almost hysterically.

"Pull yourself together, Hopps," Nick said, putting on a harder tone. "You're supposed to be the Chief of the ZPD."

Judy stared at him, before wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You're right… Perspective…" Judy mumbled as she fumbled for the radio on her belt.

"I'll call Fin, we'll scout around Downtown," Nick fished his phone from his pocket and dialled for Finnick.

* * *

Nicholas ran. He had no particular place in mind, he just had to get as far away from Nick and Judy as he could. And it would serve them right: they clearly never wanted him in the first place, or at least, that was what Nicholas had deduced from what he had overheard back there. What would they care if he just disappeared forever?

He ran across roads without pausing to look. Cars screeched to a halt as he cut across in front of them. One or two of the drivers had things to say.

"Hey, use a crossing, you stupid lank!"

"You trying to be roadkill?!"

"Get out of the road, you moron!"

Nicholas barely heard them.

Eventually, his legs started to tire, and he found himself slowing down. He didn't know where he was. He guessed he was still somewhere within the Savanna Central district, but it didn't look like a part of the District he had been to before. The buildings were dilapidated, with paint peeling off the walls of run-down apartment buildings, streets littered with rubbish and graffiti sprayed on billboards. There were notices over doors, each stating that the buildings and land had been acquired for redevelopment.

There was one building without a notice attached to the door. It looked like a disused shop, with a worn sign above it: '_And Son's – Suits For – amma – casion_'. The windows were boarded up. The front door was peeled, and the lock was rusted.

'_Nobody will look for me here,_' Nicholas thought to himself. He looked around, and, seeing nobody, he forced the door open. As the door swung open, a bell fell from above the frame and clattered to the floor. Stepping over it, Nicholas shut the door quickly. His head briefly met the wooden panel covering the door's window. His teeth clenched as his anger boiled over, he turned around and spotted a mannequin that was bunny-sized and wearing a musty old suit. Snarling, Nicholas approached it and kicked it to the ground. His anger wasn't satisfied, and he aimed a punch at a larger mannequin next to it, one that was the size of a fox. It skittered to the floor as well. A third mannequin, about the size of a wolf, stood next to them and Nicholas sent it flying with a kick. His breathing ragged and feeling no better, Nicholas collapsed to the ground. He let tears fall from his eyes.

"Liars and cowards… the both of them… I hate them," Nicholas seethed. "I _hate_ them!"

His fist slammed against the ground. Breathing heavily, Nicholas hauled himself back on to his feet. It was only then that he noticed he had entered a disused tailor shop. There were other mannequins with suits that were also in a poor state. There was a counter with a broken cash register. If it had once held any money in it, it had long since gone. Sat on the counter was a pile of leaflets, and though they had been damaged by time, Nicholas could still read the top one: '_Wilde And Son's: Suits For Any Mammal, Any Occasion_'.

Nicholas reached a paw out to the leaflet pile and threw them across the room. They fluttered everywhere as they fell. Clenching his fists, Nicholas stormed for the front door and threw it open. He did not want to be here anymore. As he stepped outside, he noticed a van with a strange painting on the side driving past. The van screeched to a halt and the passenger door opened, with Nick jumping out.

"Kid, your mother is frantic looking for…" Nick began. Nicholas ran at him.

"You…" Nicholas growled, launching himself at Nick, fist clenched. He struck Nick straight in the face. Nick reeled from the hit, raising a paw to his jaw. Opening and closing it, he felt for blood or broken teeth and found none.

"Okay, I deserved that," Nick remarked.

"Why are you here? How did you find me?" Nicholas demanded.

"I could come up with a bunch of stories, but it's a simple as just driving around," Nick replied, indicating to the van behind him. Sat in the driving seat was Finnick, glaring at Nicholas with a rather unfriendly expression. Nick looked up at the building behind Nicholas.

"Though… what are the odds you would end up here, where my… _father_…" Nick said the word as if it were poison, "set up shop decades ago?"

Nicholas bared his teeth, making it plain to Nick that he wasn't interested in small talk.

"Look, kid," Nick said, "I understand how you must be feeling."

"No, you don't!" Nicholas bellowed. "Mom tells me the same thing! Nobody knows, because there are no others like me!"

"That's… not exactly accurate," Nick replied, "but you _are_ unique. Special. A miracle, if ever I believed in them. That doesn't mean I don't know that you're confused about your place in the world."

"I…" Nicholas prepared to argue back, but stopped when he registered exactly what Nick said.

"Tell me, kid," Nick said, "what exactly did you hear?"

"I know _she_ wanted to terminate me! And I know you ran out because you couldn't face up to her!" Nicholas glowered at Nick.

"That's not… Look, she was scared that carrying you to full-term was going to harm both you and her, and she wasn't thinking straight," Nick explained. "When she learned the truth – that she wasn't in any danger – she decided not to go through with it. If she _really_ wanted you gone, she would have gone through with it. Or, she would have had you put up for adoption."

Nicholas stayed silent.

"Do you know how frantic your mother was after you ran out?" Nick asked. "She thought you'd do something stupid, like stepping in front of a train, or jumping into the river. I have to say, I thought the same thing."

"So why is she not here?" Nicholas demanded. "She busy getting the grunts to do her work?"

"She's on her way right now," Nick replied. "We split up to search, but I messaged her when I saw you."

Nick sighed.

"I'm truly sorry you had to hear what happened in the way you did, especially when you weren't ready to," Nick said. "It's not that you shouldn't know the truth, but you should have heard it when you were ready for it. I know what it's like to want, no, _crave_ acceptance, to be a part of something, and I know what it's like to have a father who walked out on you."

"Yes, Grandma Wilde told me the story," Nicholas growled, "which makes it harder for me to understand _why_ you'd walk out."

"It's… complicated," Nick answered.

"Why does everybody keep telling me that, like I can't understand!" Nicholas bellowed. He balled his fists again, anger starting to boil over once more.

"I am _not_ my father. If I had known she didn't go through with it, that she decided to keep you, I would have come back," Nick replied. "I would have come back to be a part of your life."

"Right… and you'd have done what with your mate and son?" Nicholas asked.

"I would have brought them with me," Nick replied, "You have the right to know your younger brother as well."

"And what would you have done about Mom?" Nicholas asked.

"I…" Nick began, before stopping to think. "I don't know. Maybe the same thing I did today. Maybe not. One of the many things I've learned today is that it's no use trying to guess what might have been. All I know is what's happening _now_."

Nick's ear flicked as the sound of a car engine reached him. He and Nicholas turned in time to see a police cruiser screech around the corner and abruptly stop.

"Nice to see her driving has improved," Nick joked.

"How can you joke in this situation?" Nicholas asked.

"It's a coping strategy," Nick shrugged. He turned back to Nicholas. "Listen, kid. Today's been tough on all of us, but especially you. Just don't give your mother a hard time over this. Her biggest weakness is that she dwells on the mistakes she made. Just know you aren't one of those mistakes."

The driver's door on the cruiser flew open and Judy jumped out, ran over to Nicholas and grabbed hold of him, pulling him into a hug as tears began streaming down her face onto his sweater. Nicholas felt the anger and bitterness start to ease. He glanced at Nick, who raised his paws in a shrug gesture.

"I'll leave you two it," Nick said. "I've got to get back to Mom's place. There's a lot to do before… well, there's a lot to do."

Nick turned back to Finnick's van, opened the door and clambered in. The door shut and Finnick drove off.

* * *

Judy had taken Nicholas back to the apartment and had called in to say she would not be in for the rest of the afternoon. Deputy Chief Fangmeyer would take care

Sitting on the sofa, Nicholas stared at the ground. His anger wasn't gone completely, but he felt able to hold it in check. Judy sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry you had to hear it the way you heard it," Judy said. "That wasn't the whole thing, and there's a lot of history between the three of us. I wanted to wait until you were old enough to handle it. You've been… troubled as of late and I didn't think this was the right time… one day, I hope you'll understand."

Nicholas glanced at her. His paws hurt.

"Please don't hate him," Judy remarked. "He didn't know… and that's on me. I've… been afraid of what he would say, and that's held me back. So, it's half my fault too."

Nicholas stared at Judy.

"He ran out on you," Nicholas said.

"He wanted time to gather his head," Judy replied. "Sometimes, things just happen a certain way. I… I thought he might have moved on when he didn't come back. I tried to find him, but I couldn't."

"You should have told me," Nicholas said. "Instead, all I ever heard is that I was too conflicted, that it was complicated."

"Think about how angry you have been lately," Judy said. "Would that have made things better? Would it have helped you to know, then, that your father wasn't what you had come to believe him to be? Oh, Nicky… why didn't you come to me sooner than this? You're my Son, and nothing will ever change that. But sometimes… you take after your father. And I… have never been great at reacting to being put on the spot like that."

Nicholas snorted.

"I know you don't see him that way right now," Judy continued. "but Nick is your father, and I think you should try to get to know him. I know that's what Grandma Wilde wanted… before…"

Nicholas glanced at Judy again. He got up and wordlessly returned to his bedroom, but there was no slamming of doors. He flopped onto his bed. After a few minutes, Judy came by and pulled his door to.

"I love you, Nicky," Judy whispered.

* * *

And that's the half-way point!

The big change here is no Delgato. In the original, he served as something to basically show 'nobody recognises Nick', and I felt that his actions towards Nicholas were inflammatory to the situation he was in. It made sense to me to remove that.

The next chapter is going to be a combination, since the following two chapters in the original were almost the same events from two different perspectives.


	7. We Shall Never Meet Again

Thanks go to the following reviewers: DarthChew, GhostWolf88, aomagrat, Spectra98, x_uve, seakard

Writing this almost brought me to tears. You'd think that, since I'd written this once before, that I would be prepared for it. Anyway, I won't say 'enjoy', but please, read on.

* * *

**WE SHALL NEVER MEET AGAIN**

Robin opened his eyes. He could hear padding in the hallway outside his room. He fumbled for his phone. Grabbing hold of it from the bedside table, Robin glanced blearily-eyed at it. The clock said 4:25.

Robin yawned. It was far too early to be awake, even if his Dad did make him go to bed early the previous night. Was his grandmother awake? Or was his Dad out there?

He could hear the creaking of the door across the hallway. Behind that door was the room of Viola, his grandmother.

Robin shut his eyes, trying to get back to sleep.

It didn't last. Robin's ear twitched as he heard what sounded like a snuffling sound. Opening his eyes once more and rubbing them, he tentatively got out of bed. Pushing the door open slightly, Robin peered out.

He could see the door across the hall was opened slightly. That strange snuffling sound reached his ears again.

Robin pushed his door open further and crept towards the room opposite. As he got closer, he saw his Dad, on his knees by the bed Viola Wilde was sleeping in. Viola's face looked peaceful. Nick, on the other hand, had his head bowed, and his paws were clasped around one of Viola's.

"Dad?" Robin called out tentatively. Nick didn't answer directly, instead letting out something that sounded like a choked sob.

"Dad?" Robin repeated. Nick turned to look to Robin. Robin could see tear tracks down his father's muzzle.

"Son…" Nick said finally, "call an ambulance."

Robin stared, mouth agape, at the figure lying in the bed. Viola still looked at peace, and Robin realised what had happened: she had died in the night. Robin turned around, returned to his bedroom, picked his phone up and dialled 911.

"_911, what's your emergency?_" the call operator queried.

"I think… I think my grandmother is dead," Robin stammered, tears coming to his eyes as the full force of the statement came to him.

"_Okay, stay calm,_" the operator responded. "_Can you tell me your address?_"

Robin gave the address to the operator and they told him that an ambulance would be there soon. Within ten minutes, it had pulled up outside the apartment and paramedics and a wolf doctor had disembarked and entered the apartment. The doctor went into Viola's room and looked her over. He felt her wrists and her neck. Shaking his head, he stood up.

"Time of death is within the last two hours. Time is now 4:56 AM, which I will be declaring as time of death for the records," The doctor said sombrely, turning to Nick. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wilde."

Nick felt so numb he didn't bother to contradict the doctor on his name. The doctor stepped aside as the paramedics wheeled a gurney in. They gently lifted Viola out of the bed and onto it, covering her up before taking her out of the apartment. The doctor remained behind.

"I've been following Viola's case since her diagnosis," the doctor told Nick. "Glioblastoma is an unpleasant way to go and we were hoping that it could be treated. I know that she wasn't whole in mind at the end, but… it's better that she went out in peace like she has."

The doctor left shortly after, leaving Nick alone with Robin.

* * *

Across the city, Judy was awoken by the sound of her phone's ringtone, a new song by a resurgent Gazelle, titled 'Hope Is Eternal'. Her paw flew out from under the cover and she fumbled for her phone. Sitting up, bleary-eyed, she noticed the time was 5:00 – half an hour before her alarm was meant to go off.

It could only mean that this was a phone call, and there were only a few people that would bother her this early in the morning. Unlocking the screen, Judy saw that it was Nick. A sinking feeling entered the pit of her stomach as she answered it.

"Nick…" Judy yawned. "It's too early to call…"

"_She's gone,_" Nick cut across Judy. Judy rubbed her eyes, Nick's words not registering in her mind for a moment.

"_Carrots?_" Nick's voice sounded choked.

"Who's gone?" Judy asked dazedly.

"_Mom… she's…_" Nick said. "_She went in the night._"

Judy suddenly felt very awake.

"_A doctor came out half an hour ago… I went in to check on her and…_" Nick said, stopping himself.

"Oh… Oh, Nick…" Judy said, a tear forming in her eye, "I'm so sorry…"

"_I… helped her to bed last night, and… I went in to check on her this morning… she wasn't breathing. She looked… at peace._"

"Oh, Nick…" Judy sniffed. "I can be round there quickly…"

"_You don't have to,_" Nick replied.

"Of course I do, Nick," Judy replied. "You're going to have a lot to do and… I wouldn't let you do it alone. That's what friends are for."

There was a brief moment of silence. Judy figured Nick needed a moment and she allowed it.

"_Thanks, Judy,_" Nick replied. He bade goodbye and ended the call. Tears silently falling down her face, Judy got out of bed and headed for Nicholas' room, adjacent to hers. Opening the door gently, Judy peaked into the room.

"Nicky?" Judy called softly. There was no answer from Nicholas, so she stepped into his room. He was fast asleep.

"Nicky, wake up…" Judy whispered. The mass in the bed stirred.

"Leave m'lone…" Nicholas grumbled.

"It's important…" Judy replied. "It's about Grandma Wilde…"

Nicholas sat up slowly and rubbed at his eyes.

"Nicky, she… I'm so sorry…" Judy began, tears welling up in her eyes. Nicholas felt the blood drain from his ears. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but whatever he wanted to say would not come. Judy closed the gap and wrapped her arm around him.

"I'm sorry… she's gone…" Judy said.

For a while, she sat like that with Nicholas. He didn't resist, but Judy let him cry into her shoulder. She had not seen him like this before, and she felt so helpless.

* * *

The drive didn't take long in the early morning traffic. When Judy pulled up outside Viola's apartment in the Rainforest District, she noticed Finnick's van already outside. She and Nicholas got out of the car and walked up to the front porch. She pressed the door bell and waited. It wasn't long before the door opened, and there stood Nick.

Nick wore a white vest and slacks, and it looked like he hadn't slept properly. Judy could see bags under his eyes, his fur damp underneath them.

"I said there wasn't a need for you to come," Nick said grimly.

"Yes, there was," Judy said. "There's _every_ need for me to be here. Like _I_ said, I'm not going to let you be alone when right now, you need your friends. And she was Nicholas' grandmother too."

Nick let out a pained sigh as fresh tears trickled down his muzzle. Judy felt an immense anguish at the sight. She had seen him upset, but never in this way, and it drove a dagger through her heart to see him and be unable to do anything to stop his pain. But if there was something she could do to help, then she was going to do it.

'_Appropriate can go to Hell,_' Judy thought, closing the distance between her and Nick and putting her arms around him in a hug. Nick tensed up, not expecting Judy's action, but after a moment, he allowed his grief to come through and he wept into Judy's arms. Tears welled up in Judy's eyes again.

"Yo, you gonna let her in?" Finnick came out from the kitchen, a grim look on his face.

Nick bade Judy and Nicholas inside and went to the kitchen to fetch refreshments. Robin followed him, displaying awkwardness around Judy by stealing glances at her then quickly looking away as he fidgeted nervously.

Nick returned to the living room with a caroffee, which he gave to Judy, and he set a glass of water down on the table in front of Nicholas, before sitting down in one of the armchairs.

"This might come across a little insensitive, but…" Judy began, "have you thought about her funeral yet?"

Nick said nothing. He wasn't ready to start thinking about that yet.

"Do you know if she had a will?" Judy asked.

"She does," Nick said. "I'm the executor."

"Did she say how she would like to be…?" Judy began.

"She always talked about being buried with my father," Nick replied. "As much as I disliked my old man… it was her wish."

Another moment of silence between the two.

"Nick, if there's anything I can do…" Judy began.

Nick didn't answer straight away.

"Our son might need you more than I do right now," Nick replied. The reply took Judy by surprise: this was the first spoken acknowledgement Nick had made of Nicholas being _their_ son as opposed to _her_ son. Turning to face Nicholas, Judy noticed he was staring blankly into the air, not really taking anything in. His fur was damp with recent tears. Judy moved to sit next to Nicholas, and a new tear fell from his face. She put a paw on his shoulder. Judy looked to Nick. She gestured for him to come over, something he seemed surprised by, but he acquiesced. Sitting on the other side of Nicholas, he tentatively placed a paw on the boy's free shoulder. Nicholas stiffened at the touch, but did not throw Nick's paw off. Tears fell from the eyes of all three.

They were not thinking of it, but that had been the first true reunion, brought about by their shared grief.

* * *

And that's a wrap on this chapter. The original two chapters had a lot of repetition so it made sense to merge them.


	8. Letters and Wills

Thanks go to the following reviewers: Sapperjoe85, aomagrat, DeadDireWolf, GhostWolf88 (AO3 and FNN), yoshifan30, Spectra98, x_uve, Tarathiel, DarthChew

* * *

**LETTERS AND WILLS**

The day after Viola had passed, Nick began to sort through her possessions. It had only been a week since Nick had arrived in Zootopia, but that week felt like a lifetime ago. Preparing himself, he went into Viola's bedroom to find her diary, which he knew would contain the information he needed to start getting things in order. In particular, he was looking for her solicitor's contact details, so he could inform them of Viola's passing.

For a moment, Nick's eyes were fixed on Viola's empty bed. He could almost see her still lying there, unmoving, and the thought brought a tear to his eye.

A moment passed by, and a memory returned to Nick.

* * *

"_Right, you know what this means!" Viola said angrily. She had received a report from school of Nick having caused trouble in his class – yet again. This sort of thing had become more and more frequent since last year, after the Junior Ranger Scout incident._

_She stomped into Nick's room, despite his cries for her to stop. Finding his game system on the nightstand, she took it, went into her room, and put it inside the cupboard of her own nightstand. Crossing her arms, she turned her frown on Nick._

"_And don't even think of trying to get it back while my back is turned, Mister," Viola glowered. "You know what happened last time you did. You didn't get it back for a whole three weeks. Now, go to your room and think about what you've done!"_

"_I hate you!" the ten-year-old fox kit shouted, before storming into his room and slamming his door shut._

* * *

That nightstand was still here, right where it had always been. Whenever Viola had confiscated something from Nick as a kit, she had hidden it in there. It didn't have a lock, but the fear of his mother's wrath was good enough to dissuade Nick from ever trying to take his confiscated things back.

Nick knelt down and opened the nightstand's cupboard. There was a diary in there, with an envelope taped to the cover. Nick reached inside and taking the diary out. Getting to his feet and sitting on the foot of his mother's bed, the read the front of the envelope: '_To my darling son, Nicholas_'.

Nick stared at the envelope for a while, debating whether or not he really wanted to open it. His curiosity won out over his fear of finding out what it said, and he peeled the envelope off and opened it. There was a letter inside, which Nick took and unfolded it. He began to read it:

'_Dearest Nicky,_

_If you are reading this letter, it means that I'm no longer with you. I'll be wherever John is, and I'll be in a much better place._

_It also means you finally decided to break my rule about going after something I had put in my cabinet in the hopes that you wouldn't find it. But it's okay, just this once, I'll let it slide._'

As tears started running down Nick's face, he let out a soft chuckle. He continued to read on:

'_If, by the time you receive this letter, I wasn't able to persuade you to come back to Zootopia, then I hope you come back at least for my funeral. You'll definitely run into your old mate at my funeral, Judy Hopps, and she is there for as good a reason as you. She has a son. The boy is yours. After you broke up with her, she could not go through the termination and instead chose to give birth to him. He's a lot like how you were at his age, though he has the added stigma of being a fox-rabbit Cross. I've tried to tell him what I know about you, but you know what moody teenagers are like. You were one once. In the end, all I could really do is try to tell him that he had got you wrong. I haven't told you this before, because the responsibility to do so falls squarely on Judy's shoulders, but that's why I tried to get you to come home. By the time you read this letter, however, it will be too late. I don't want you to be shocked or surprised when you come to my funeral._

_If you're reading this and you have already returned to Zootopia to say your goodbyes to me, you will probably have already encountered Nicholas, and you already know he is your first son. I'm sorry I never told you, and I really hope that I got to tell you that much, if the cancer didn't eat that far into my memory. That was the reason I was trying to bring you home all this time: I wanted you to meet him and for both of you to take part in each other's' lives._

_I hope that, at the very least, I got to meet Robin in the fur. He's always been a sweet child in our Muzzletime calls and letters, but I'd like him to get to know his half-brother too._'

Steadying himself, Nick carried on with the letter.

'_If you have found this letter, you will be trying to find my solicitor to inform them of my passing. I have a will, made out at the same time I wrote this letter, so you will need to attend a reading of it. You are the executor of my will. My solicitor is an old acquaintance of ours. I know what you think of the Weaseltons after your run-ins with Duke all those years ago, but there was really no better solicitor than his father, Archie. He still operates out of his office in what's left of Happytown, so he'll be easy to find. You will need to let Judy Hopps know, as the will concerns her and Nicholas as well._

_Lastly, know that I have always and will always love you. Even if I can't quite understand the reasons you have lived your life as you have, you are my son and nothing will ever change that._

_I may be gone, but I'll always be with you. Look for me in your heart. Be safe. Be well._

_Always your mother, Viola Wilde.'_

Nick stared at the letter, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. There was something _final_ about reading the letter that made his Mom's death all the more real to him.

The sound of a cough reached Nick's ears and he wiped his tears away before he turned to the doorway. Finnick stood there.

"I didn't hear you let yourself in," Nick said.

"Thought you might want a minute to you'self," Finnick remarked, stepping in to the room. "What you found, Nick?"

"It's…" Nick began, "… personal."

Finnick let out a breath through his nostrils. He hopped onto the bed to sit beside Nick.

"Now you know I ain't one to get sappy or anythin'," Finnick said, "but your Ma loved you. No matter how bone-headed you been these past fifteen years."

"Tell it like it is, why don't you," Nick let out a snuffle.

"What kind of pal would I be if I didn't?" Finnick said. "It's for your own good. I'd have had this chat with you long ago if I'd known Chew Toy kept the kid. Heck, I'da gone out to Mexicat myself and _dragged_ you back."

"Please don't call her that," Nick requested.

"Whatever helps you, Nick," Finnick answered. "Can I ask you somethin'?"

"You're going to anyway," Nick replied.

"You still in love wit' her?" Finnick asked. Nick's eyes darted to Finnick briefly.

"What does it matter?" Nick replied. "Too much time has passed, and too much water has flown under the bridge."

"Your Ma used to tell me that forgiveness comes from a place of love," Finnick replied. "Wise old vixen, she was. She knew you was broken. Still is broken, from where I'm sat. You always tried to get her to go out there, and she always tried to get you to come back. She didn't want your money. She wanted _you_, home, where you belong."

There was a brief silence between the two, before Finnick spoke up again.

"So, what was in the letter?" Finnick asked.

"Like I said, it's personal," Nick replied.

"Nick, you _know_ your ma was as good as my ma." Finnick said, "We known each other since we were in our teens and no matter what hustles we used to do, your ma always welcomed me in to her home with you. We like brothers. You ever need to talk, I'm here."

Nick let out a sigh through his nostrils. Finnick lost his mother at a young age and was raised by relatives who treated him fairly distantly. Viola was the closest thing to a mother Finnick had, and Viola always rolled out the welcome mat to the fennec. Finnick got off the bed and left the room, leaving Nick alone.

Remembering why he had come in to the room in the first place, Nick folded the letter up, placed it back in the envelope and pocketed it. He opened her diary and flipped through it, looking to find the number for Viola's solicitor. He got off the bed and went back to the living room, finding his phone on top of the table in the middle of the room. He dialled the number.

"_Weaselton and Company Solicitors, how may I help?_" came a young female voice.

"I need to speak to Mr. Weaselton regarding a client," Nick remarked.

"_I'll put you through,_" the voice replied. The line hung for a moment, before it clicked through.

"_Archibald Weaselton speaking,_" a well-spoken voice answered.

"Mr. Weaselton, my name is Nick Ana… Nick Wilde," Nick said. "I'm the son of Viola Wilde."

"_What can I do for you, Mr. Wilde?_"

"I need to inform you…" Nick began, but stopped. Even thinking the words had a crushing effect on him. He gathered all his strength to persevere with the task.

"My Mom died yesterday," Nick said finally, in a quiet voice.

"_I'm sorry to hear that,_" Archie gave his condolences. "_I believe that she named you as the executor of her will. Is that still correct?_"

"Yes," Nick replied.

"_I can arrange an appointment this afternoon for a reading of the Will, if that is appropriate,_" Archie suggested.

"Yes, thank you," Nick agreed.

"_Very well,_" Archie replied. "_Come to my office this afternoon, at two o'clock. My condolences, Mr. Wilde._"

With that, the line went dead and Nick replaced the phone. He recalled that the letter Viola had left him stated that the Will concerned Judy and Nicholas as well, which meant he would need to speak to Judy as soon as possible. After a quick phone call to Finnick, who agreed to watch Robin, Nick changed into a dark suit and white shirt and set out.

* * *

As he arrived in the City Centre, Nick had considered whether it was worth phoning ahead, but he had put aside that notion as it would just waste time. Perhaps it was arrogance on Nick's part, but he suspected that Judy would make an exception for him turning up at Precinct One, particularly because of Viola's death.

What surprised Nick more than anything was how little Precinct One had changed. It stood in contrast to the buildings surrounding it, which had been modernized.

It dawned on Nick that this was another place he had not set foot in for a really long time, yet had changed so little, at least on the outside.

There were cops on the steps that Nick did not recognise. If he had to guess, some of them were mere teens when Nick was still with the ZPD. There were one or two familiar faces not in standard uniforms. Some of them did double-takes when they saw Nick.

"Holy…" Delgato, a lion in a suit remarked in surprise.

"Manes," Nick nodded.

"Nick Wilde, I heard you were back from the dead," Delgato came over. "What brings you out here?"

"A family matter," Nick replied solemnly. "Have you seen Ca… Hopps?"

"She's been up in her office for a while, with Commissioner Bogo," Delgato answered.

"I guess I'll go wait in the lobby," Nick said. He nodded to Delgato and headed inside.

The lobby had been repainted, but almost everything was where Nick remembered it, including the main desk in the centre. And at that main desk, dancing in his seat, was Benjamin Clawhauser, the chubby cheetah who had greeted mammals coming into the Precinct for many years.

"Nice to see for myself that some things don't change," Nick muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth lifting into a slight smile. He approached the desk. Clawhauser seemed to be unaware that he had a visitor. For a moment, Nick leaned on the counter, watching. Then, checking around him, Nick raised his clenched paw and knocked on the desk. Clawhauser stopped dancing and his eyes met Nick's. For a moment, there was silence. Then…

"Oh-Em-Goodness!" Clawhauser squealed. "Nick Wilde has come to visit!"

Clawhauser launched himself across the desk and caught Nick in a tight embrace.

"Spots! Can't breathe!" Nick gasped. Clawhauser let him go.

"Oh, have you missed a lot around here!" Clawhauser began. "Well, you obviously know about your son, and about Hopps being the Chief, but you wanna know a few other things that have happened? Bogo got made Commissioner! And Delgato and Wolfard are lead Detectives now! Oh, there's a lot to fill you in on!"

Clawhauser's face fell slightly.

"Oh, I heard about your poor Mom," Clawhauser said. "I'm so sorry, Nick."

"Thanks, Spots," Nick replied solemnly.

"Are you here to see Chief Hopps?" Clawhauser asked.

"Yeah," Nick answered. "You know, I still can't get my head around that. Her being the Chief."

"Well, I hear she might not be for much longer," Clawhauser whispered.

"She do something wrong?" Nick raised an eyebrow.

"No, no, it's just…" Clawhauser answered. He caught himself, as if a memory came to the front of his mind. "Ah, you're probably better off asking her yourself."

Nick did pick up on Clawhauser's tone, realising he was likely to be more cautious about saying things that might get mammals into all sorts of trouble.

"You know, I fought your corner after you left," Clawhauser whispered. "And I wasn't the only one either."

"Thanks, Spots, it's appreciated," Nick smiled sadly.

"I'll call to let the Chief know you're here," Clawhauser said. He picked up the phone. "Chief? I got Nick Wilde here to see you. Send him up? Okay." Clawhauser hung the phone up and returned his attention to Nick.

"You still know the way?" he asked.

"I was up there enough times," Nick laughed gently. "I think I know the way. We'll catch up another time, Spots."

"I'll hold you to that, Nick!" Clawhauser replied as Nick headed for the stairs that would lead him to the second landing. After climbing, he found the Chief's office. Voices could be heard from inside the office. Nick knocked and the voices behind the door stopped talking.

"Enter," came Judy's voice. Nick opened the door and stepped inside the office. Sat across from Judy was Bogo. He looked much older and more worn than the last time Nick had seen him, but those eyes were still the same, and they told Nick that even though he wasn't in the Chief's position any more, he wouldn't put up with Nick's banter. Instead of a police uniform, he was wearing a suit with a white shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar.

'_Nice to see some things don't change,_' Nick thought.

"Wilde," Bogo nodded.

"Bogo," Nick nodded in return. Bogo's attention returned to Judy.

"Well, I think we've said all that needs to be said," Bogo got up, straightening his suit out, "If you'll excuse me, I have some wheels that have to be set in motion."

Bogo gave Judy a brief nod, and a brief, pointed stare in Nick's direction, before leaving the office. Judy let out a sigh.

"I've just tendered my resignation as Chief," Judy told Nick.

"Huh? Why?" Nick blinked.

"Here," Judy got down from her chair and passed a letter over to Nick. Opening it, he read it. It was briefer than the one from Viola to Nick:

'_Dear Mayor Rhinoheart and Commissioner Bogo,_

_It is after careful consideration, and with deep regret, that I am resigning as Chief of the Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One, effective immediately. My parting request is that the position be given to Assistant Chief Trisha Fangmeyer, who will make an excellent Chief, and I request demotion to the rank of Lieutenant._

_I thank you for your faith in me and for giving me the opportunity._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Chief Judy Hopps._'

Looking up from the letter, Nick gave Judy a slightly puzzled look.

"You must have worked hard to get here," Nick remarked. "So, why are you resigning?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," Judy answered. "I might have gained rank, but I lost part of myself along the way. I forgot that I came here, a long time ago, to make the world a better place… I can't even do that. Along the way, all I've found out is that I'm a horrible friend, and a terrible mother…"

"Hey, hey…" Nick reached a paw out to Judy's shoulder. "You're not a horrible mammal, Judy."

"I am," Judy shook her head in denial., her eyes tearing up.

"No, you're _not_," Nick affirmed. "Have you made some mistakes along the way? Well, yes, yes you have. A wise mammal once told me we all make mistakes. If you were truly a bad mammal, would you realise you had made mistakes? I don't think so. Nobody bad can admit they were wrong."

Nick sighed wistfully.

"And if _you're_ a bad mammal, what does that make me?" Nick asked. "I only came back to Zootopia in time to see my mother, or what was left of her, fade away. She had been trying to get me back here, and I kept putting it off. Had I come back sooner, I would have known the truth, and I'd have been here while Mom was still here."

"I pushed you away!" Judy protested.

"I _walked_ away!" Nick retorted.

"Because of what I did!" Judy returned.

"Enough!" Nick raised his voice.

Judy stared at the floor, allowing tears to fall again. Nick let out a sigh again and he stared at Judy.

"I didn't come here to argue who was more in the wrong, Carrots," Nick said.

"Why _are_ you here, Nick?" Judy asked.

Nick took a deep breath to steady himself before speaking.

"I found a letter this morning from Ma," Nick explained. "and it told me who would be reading the will. Archie Weaselton will be reading it this afternoon, and you and Nicholas…" Nick said his firstborn's name as though he had never said it before, "need to be there."

Judy looked at Nick, her eyes widened with surprise.

"… why would _I_ need to be there?" Judy asked.

"All I was told was that the will concerns you and our son," Nick replied. "Please, Carrots… please just be there, this afternoon."

* * *

As Nick stepped out of the station, he could see Finnick's van pulling up into the parking lot out front.

"What brings you here?" Nick asked as he approached the van.

"'Motional support," Finnick grunted. Nick chuckled, drawing a look of ire from the fennec.

"Don't make me clobber the grievin'," Finnick threatened. "Get in."

Nick did as he was told, clambering into the passenger's side of the van. Robin was sat in the back of the van.

"So…" Finnick began, as he pulled out of the parking lot. "You wanna say what took you so long in there? I begun to wonder if they nabbed you or somethin'."

"No," Nick shook his head. "Let's just get out of here. I've got an appointment with a weasel."

Finnick snorted as he turned off towards Happytown.

* * *

That afternoon, Finnick took Nick and Robin to Archie Weaselton's solicitor's firm in Happytown. It was situated in a part of Happytown that had not yet been acquired for redevelopment – much like Wilde and Son's – but unlike most of the buildings in the mouldering area, Weaselton's looked relatively well-kept, even if it did look outdated.

"I'll be waitin' here," Finnick answered as Nick got out of the van.

"Thanks, Fin," Nick nodded gratefully as he headed for the entrance. Opening the door, he noticed a vixen sat at the receptionist's desk. She looked to not even be out of her teenage years, which suggested to Nick that she might be interning with Weaselton.

"Excuse me, I have an appointment with Archie Weaselton. Name of Nicholas Anabel."

The vixen stared up at Nick, then began typing away at her computer.

"Yes," The vixen said, indicating down the short hallway behind the desk, "He's in Office Two on the right side."

"Thanks," Nick said, heading down to the room. He knocked on the door.

"Enter," Came a voice from the other side of the door. Nick opened the door.

"Archie, it's been some time," Nick smiled.

Archibald 'Archie' Weaselton was in his early seventies, but he looked as spry as ever. Unlike his son, not a strand of fur was out of place, and his suit, while looking a little worn, was nevertheless clean. He wore glasses, which was a new thing to Nick.

"How's your son? I haven't seen him since… well, for fifteen years," Nick said.

"In jail, would you believe it," Archie said.

"What did he do this time?" Nick asked.

"The usual," Archie shrugged. "Sometimes I just don't know what to do with that boy," He shook his head. "You didn't come here to hear family stories."

Nick's expression fell.

"No, I did not," Nick agreed. "I'm here to put Ma's affairs in order."

Archie pulled a sealed envelope towards him.

"As the will concerns more than one party, I take it you have informed the relevant parties that they need to be present?"

"I have," Nick nodded. "But before we begin, there's something I want to ask you."

"What would that be?"

Nick breathed in deeply.

"I want to change my name, back to Wilde."

"You were mated, weren't you?" Archie raised an eyebrow. "That's why you changed your name to… Anabel, wasn't it? Why do you want to change your name back?"

"It's not that I want to discard Skye's family name…" Nick said. "Far from it. I want my son… my second son to carry that name on. But… I want to honour Ma. And if that's to be done, I don't want her to die being the last to bear the Wilde name."

Archie considered Nick for a moment.

"That's fair enough," Archie nodded. He opened his drawer and pulled a form out, passing it to Nick. It was a deed poll form for changing his name. Nick knew the process would likely take some time.

"Fill this out and send it to City Hall," Archie remarked.

"Thank you," Nick said, taking the form.

As Nick pocketed the form, a knock came at the door.

"Enter," Archie called. The door opened and Judy and Nicholas stepped inside the office. Nicholas looked like he did not want to be there – a sentiment Nick understood. Judy had changed from her uniform into a dark grey suit.

"Please, sit," Archie indicated to the chairs in front of him. Judy and Nicholas sat in the seats and Archie picked up a paper from his desk.

"As you are all present, I will now proceed," Archie said. "This is the last will and testament of Viola Vivienne Wilde. The majority of her possessions, which includes her apartment at 1955 Cypress Grove Lane, is to be left to Nicholas Anabel, née Wilde. Her life savings are to be invested for her grandson, Nicholas Stuart Hopps. Her final wish was to be buried in the same plot as her late husband, Johnathan Wilde. She also took out a sizeable life insurance policy which should be sufficient to pay for her funeral and burial. Is there any intent to contest the contents of this will?"

There was silence from Judy, Nick and Nicholas.

"Very well, then that concludes this reading," Archie said. He passed the will over to Nick. "As executor, it will be your responsibility to ensure the instructions of the will are carried out."

"I understand," Nick replied. "Thank you."

With that, he got up from his seat. His paw briefly touched Judy's shoulder as he passed her.

The only thing that Nick had left to do was to arrange his mother's burial.

* * *

The heaviest chapter so far. The next chapter covers the funeral (which I promise, will be _one_ chapter instead of four). Until then.


	9. The Funeral

Here's the climax of this story, the funeral of Viola Wilde. The original story had four – count 'em, _four_ – chapters for this part of the story. Combining those will avoid the repetition of the story.

As usual, thanks to the people who reviewed since the last update: Takeshi Nakamoto, aomagrat, Ghostwolf88 (AO3 and FFN), Spectra98, x_uve

* * *

**THE FUNERAL**

The alarm clock beside Nick's bed went off. He shot a paw out from underneath the covers of his bed and swiped at it, silencing it. He sat up slowly and stretched.

His sleepy eyes looked around the room.

_His_ room.

No longer was Nick a guest in this apartment. He owned it.

The question was what Nick would do with it, because to him, right now, he didn't really see it as _his_ apartment. This was his Ma's home.

A week had passed since Viola's passing. Nick had gotten most of her affairs in order, so all that remained was to bury her, and today was that day.

Stepping out of bed, Nick's eyes fell upon the suit hung up in the closet. Unlike his usual style, which was often mismatched by the standards of others, the suit was plain black, with a white shirt. Viola had jested about him dressing for a funeral, and it was ironic that what was a joke had become reality.

A tear rolled down Nick's face.

"Keep it together, Wilde," Nick whispered, wiping the tear away. Sighing heavily, he got out of his bed and padded into the bathroom.

* * *

After showering, Nick towelled off, dried himself using the fur dryer, and headed back to his room. On his way, he gazed into Viola's room. During the sorting-out, he had boxed things of hers up, but otherwise the room hadn't been disturbed. He composed himself as he returned to his room to put on his suit. Once he was dressed, he went out into the hallway and to Robin's door. He knocked gently, and then opened the door.

The suit Nick had made for Robin hung up in the wardrobe. He had made it for Skye's funeral the previous year, and had taken some time this week to adjust it. In the past, Nick had learned to make outfits as part of his hustling schemes. Ironic, since that was the business his late father had been in, and while he had intended to use it to make an honest wage, Nick had once been anything but with his creations.

"Robin?" Nick called out gently. The covers bunched up as Robin curled into a ball.

"Robin… get up, son," Nick whispered.

"Five more minutes…" Robin muttered. Nick let out a sound that almost sounded like a chuckle. He gently tugged the bed covers off of Robin, who groaned as he sat up.

"What time is it?" Robin asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Seven o'clock," Nick replied, glancing at the clock on Robin's bedside table. "Time to get up and get ready."

Robin rose from his bed, rubbed his eyes and yawned. Nick reached out and ruffled the fur between Robin's ears affectionately.

"Stop, Dad…" Robin grumbled. "You're messing up my fur."

"Get your tail out of bed and I'll stop," Nick replied. Robin groaned and shifted out of the bed, stretching himself.

"Today's going to be a hard day," Nick said solemnly.

"Yeah, I know." Robin said, with a downtrodden tone.

Nick left Robin to get dressed. He headed to the kitchen. The first thing Nick did was fill up the kettle with water and set himself out a mug of coffee. As the kettle boiled, a knock came at the front door. Nick headed out and opened it, glancing downward. Finnick stood in front of the door, in a little black suit and sunglasses, despite the fact it was raining.

"'Sup," Finnick said, stepping inside.

Nick closed the door and returned to the kitchen as Robin came out of his room, wearing his suit trousers and shirt. Nick poured Robin a glass of orange juice, made two coffees and headed into the living room.

"Don't suppose you got anything stronger?" Finnick raised an eyebrow as Nick passed him the second coffee.

"First off, you know Ma never drank," Nick replied. "Second, you're doing the driving today, so lay off the booze."

"You run a theme park business. You supposed to be fun," Finnick mock pouted just before taking a sip of the coffee.

"Today isn't the time for fun, Fin," Nick sighed, before taking a sip of his coffee. He stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm coming home, by the way," Nick remarked.

"For real?" Finnick said.

"Yes," Nick nodded. "Ma was right. I should have done it sooner."

"What about your work?" Finnick asked.

"I stepped down," Nick answered. "Sent the email off a couple of days ago, and I got confirmation yesterday that they had received it. The Deputy will take over. I'm going back to Mexicat to pack things up once the funeral… once that's done."

"Gonna be a lot of upheaval," Finnick's gaze moved to Robin. "Especially for the kit."

"He was home-schooled," Nick replied. "Mexicat is not Zootopia, and I didn't want him to go through what _I_ went through as a kit. And as for Skye… her last wish was to be cremated. There's nothing left there for us."

There was a moment of silence. Nick noticed Robin going into the living room.

"Go sit down, I got this," Nick remarked. Finnick stared at Nick for a moment longer, then headed for the living room. As he entered, he noticed Robin staring at him a little nervously.

"Kid, I ain't gonna bite ya," Finnick said, as he sat in one of the sofa seats. "Come take a seat."

Robin nervously did so.

"You ever hear what your Dad used to say during the old days?" Finnick asked.

"Um… no," Robin shrugged. "Dad doesn't talk much about the old days."

"Figures," Finnick replied, shrugging. "Nick's favourite saying used to be 'never let them see they get to you'."

"I… guess that's true," Robin thought about it.

"Kid, there ain't nothin' wrong with lettin' people see they get to you every once in a while," Finnick answered. "Dunno how close you were with your Grandma, what with you being hundreds of miles apart."

"We spoke on Muzzletime and she'd write letters and send cards," Robin replied. "But… a few months ago, we stopped Muzzletiming each other and only wrote to each other once in a while."

"Kid, I ain't gonna sugar-coat it for ya," Finnick said. "She wasn't herself in the end. But I heard somethin' once. The mind might forget one day but the heart never forgets. Her heart let her know who you were."

Robin let out a choked sob. Finnick uneasily leaned over and embraced him briefly.

"I ain't too good at this sh… stuff," Finnick said. "Nick… your Pa… he's like family to me, and that makes you family. Family's gotta look out for each other. You ever need a shoulder to cry on… well, I'm sure Nick would say my shoulders are low enough. Don't let him hear that I said that, 'cos he'll use it against me and I'll have to bite his face off."

Robin let out a choked chuckle as he wiped his eyes, and Finnick smiled briefly.

* * *

Across town, Judy had already awoken and was already dressed in her funeral suit. The last time she had worn that suit had been ten years ago, at the funeral of Pop-Pop.

Judy checked herself over in the mirror in her bedroom. As a last touch, she affixed a lily to her breast pocket.

For a brief moment, her mind flashed back to her first day in Zootopia, stood in front of a mirror, filled with pride as she examined herself in her ZPD uniform. Now, she felt sombre. Today wasn't a day to feel prideful.

Her notice had been worked, and as of that day, she was Lieutenant Judy Hopps, former Chief of Precinct One. That day was also Viola's funeral, and Judy was determined she would be there, for Nick, and for their son.

Judy's phone rang, breaking her from her reflection. She moved to her night stand and picked it up. It was her Mom calling her. Taking a deep breath, Judy pressed the button to accept the call.

"Hi Mom," Judy greeted Bonnie as her face appeared on the screen.

Bonnie Hopps was now in her late sixties, but Judy swore she didn't look a day over fifty. In the background, Judy could see her Dad, Stu, doing something, but she couldn't see what it was.

"_Hey, sweetie,_" Bonnie replied. "_How are you holding up?_"

"I'm fine," Judy replied.

"_Judy…_" Bonnie replied, a concerned look on her face. "_You may be 42, but your ears still droop when you're not okay._"

"Mom powers, huh…" Judy let out a small chuckle.

"_Yes, and you know exactly what I'm talking about,_" Bonnie said, "_How's Nicky doing?_"

"He's…" Judy began. "He's incredibly upset, even if he's trying to hide it from me. Viola's passing hit him hard."

"_Well, of course it would,_" Bonnie replied. "_She was his Grandma too. She was his only link to his father as well._"

"Not any more…" Judy mumbled.

"_I know Nick came back for his mother, but think of how long it's been,_" Bonnie pointed out. "_He's not been there for almost all of Nicky's life, and the whole thing is just one big shock to them both. I don't know if Nick's going to return to Mexicat, but if he does, perhaps it's for the best._"

"_Is that Jude?_" came the voice of Stu, and he appeared on the screen. "_Hey, Jude! How's it going? Need me to come with a pitchfork to take care of your problem?_"

"Okay, Dad, today isn't the day to say things like that," Judy cut across bluntly, an unhappy frown on her face. "Viola was Nick's Mom, not just Nicky's Grandma, and I'm _not_ going to kick Nick while he's down. I've spent fifteen years regretting the _last_ time I did that, and you of all mammals should know that!"

"_We're not suggesting that at all,_" Bonnie said, holding up a paw in concession, before shooting a pointed glare at Stu. "_Are we, Stu?_"

Stu said nothing but backed off a bit. Bonnie sighed.

"_I'm sorry, hon,_" Bonnie apologised,"_We didn't mean to sound insensitive. We're just worried._"

"I'm fine," Judy repeated her earlier statement.

"_Well, if you insist… I'll let you go now, Judy. We'll be thinking of you today,_" Bonnie said.

"Thanks, Mom," Judy replied, before the call ended. She gave her suit the once-over again, adjusting the lily pin. Once she was satisfied, she left her room and went to Nicholas' door.

* * *

Nicholas stood in front of the mirror affixed to his wardrobe door. He had already changed into the suit he was wearing to the funeral. He had never needed a suit before that day. His mother had claimed that she had bought it from a store, but Nicholas knew that it wasn't professionally-made. It also carried the scent of Nick Wilde.

He refused to wear it, at first, but Judy had won him around.

A knock came at the door.

"Nicholas, are you ready yet?" Judy called.

Nicholas didn't answer. Judy tentatively pushed open the door. She padded over to him.

"Are you okay?" Judy asked gently.

"No," Nicholas shook his head. "Grandma Wilde is gone. Gone…"

"I'm not the most religious rabbit," Judy said, "but I believe that when someone leaves us, they leave a part of them behind in us. So, your Grandma lives…" Judy placed a paw on Nicholas' chest, "right here."

Tears welled up in Nicholas' eyes as he faced Judy.

"Come here, son," Judy said, pulling Nicholas into a hug. Nicholas returned the hug, allowing tears to fall silently.

* * *

Nick, Robin and Finnick had arrived at the chapel the service was to take place in. They had disembarked from Finnick's van, and Nick had gone to meet the Minister. The Minister was a black fox who was waiting for them at the entrance to the chapel.

"Welcome, Nicholas," the Minister said, offering a paw for Nick to shake, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Minister," Nick nodded sombrely.

"As family, you will be situated at the front of the proceedings," the Minister remarked. "I take it this young kit is your son?"

"Yes," Nick nodded.

"Are there other members of Viola's family that will be attending?" the Minister asked.

"Yes," Nick replied. "She has another grandson, and I would like for him and his mother to be sat up the front as well."

"His mother would be… Judith Hopps, correct?" the Minister checked.

"Yes," Nick nodded.

"As this is your request, and as you have identified Viola as being this child's grandmother, I take it that _you_…"

"Yes, I am his father," Nick replied.

"Oh, my," The Minister widened his eyes in surprise. "That _is_ unusual. Not unheard of, but not something I've seen often."

A skulk of older foxes approached the chapel. The Minister and Nick stepped aside to let them through.

"Viola's friends," Nick said. "I had a tough time tracking some of them down."

"She doesn't have many here today," The Minister remarked.

"Some of them don't live in the City anymore, and some have passed on. She had no other living family," Nick said.

Nick's attention was turned towards the path leading to the chapel as Judy and Nicholas arrived. Nick nodded briefly at the pair of them and the Minister ushered them inside.

"Robin, you should go inside too," Nick suggested. Robin's paw gripped Nick's briefly. He let go and headed in after Judy and Nicholas.

The sound of a vehicle's engine reached Nick's ears and he turned to the cemetery entrance in time to see a hearse, carrying his Mother's coffin, driving along the narrow pathway. Another car was behind it, carrying five foxes that had agreed to be pallbearers. Nick moved to greet them, but as he did, his eyes fell on Viola's coffin.

Seeing Viola's coffin made it all the more real for Nick. He could feel tears welling up again. The pallbearers allowed Nick a moment before the back of the hearse opened up.

Nick composed himself and moved to the back of the hearse. The six foxes gently lifted the coffin from it and slowly carried it in to the chapel. All eyes were on them as they reached the front of the chapel and gently lowered the coffin onto the central stand. Nick stood beside the coffin as the pallbearers retreated to the rear of the chapel.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to pay our respects to, and to celebrate the life of our departed sister, Viola Vivienne Wilde," The Minister said from the pulpit. "She has left this world, moving into the Great Beyond to be with those who have passed before."

The Minister looked to Nick, whose gaze was still focused on Viola's coffin.

"I will now hand you over to her son, Nicholas Wilde, who has some words to say," The Minister said. He stepped down from the pulpit. Nick stepped away from his mother's coffin and entered the pulpit, retrieving a speech he had prepared beforehand from his pocket. He set it on the stand, took a deep breath and began speaking.

"When I was a kit, Ma would always tell me 'Night falls, but the sun will always rise the next day'," Nick read. His voice cracked slightly as he continued on: "For me, night fell for a long time, but Ma was always there trying to get me back from the darkness and into the light. She never stopped believing in the good that was out in the world. Never stopped believing in those she loved. That's the sort of vixen she was."

Tears started streaming from Nick's eyes as his voice wavered.

"She saw the good in everybody," he continued. "She knew that everybody takes a fall in their lives at some point, but she was always there, offering a paw to help you get back on your feet. Being a single mother to a kit who had lost hope could never have been easy, but she never gave up hope on me. That was her greatest gift to the world: the gift of hope."

Nick swallowed and glanced at his mother's coffin.

"She was the best mother a broken tod could ask for," Nick said finally, before stepping down from the pulpit and returning to his seat, the fur of his face marked by tear tracks. The Minister stepped back in.

"Thank you for those words, Nicholas," The Minister said. "Viola was loved by those she knew. Her passing is a tragedy but we must remember that in death, suffering shall end. Do not see death as the end, for death is simply moving on to the next life. And now I would like to make a reading, before we finally lay Viola to rest."

Nick, Judy, Robin and Nicholas were dwelling on what Nick had just said, and so weren't paying attention to the words the Minister spoke. After what seemed like an eternity where the four of them were looking to Viola's coffin, the Minister finished his sermon.

"And now, if you would like to stand, we will now lay our Sister to rest," the Minister said. The congregation stood, and Nick and the other pallbearers returned to the coffin to lift it. In total silence, they carried Viola out of the chapel, into the cemetery and to a spot that had been freshly dug outside. The Minister and the congregation followed. Judy held Nicholas' arm gently and reassuringly. Robin followed behind them.

As Viola's will had stipulated, her plot had been dug next to a grave marked 'Jonathan Reginald Wilde' – that of Nick's father. The pallbearers stopped around the freshly-dug pit. They gently lowered Viola down into it. They stepped back and the Minister stepped to the graveside.

"And now we commit our sister Viola Vivienne Wilde to eternal rest, Earth to Earth," the Minister threw a pawful of dirt into the open grave on top of the coffin, "ashes to ashes," another pawful, "dust to dust," One final pawful. He nodded to the attendants stood to the sides of the grave and they started to shovel soil on top of Viola's coffin, committing her to the ground forever.

The congregation watched. Tears were shed. Nicholas slipped from Judy's grasp and headed towards Nick. For a moment, all they did was stare at each other, each unsure as to what the other might do.

Then, taking Nick completely by surprise, Nicholas threw his arms around Nick in an awkward hug. Nick froze for a moment, but then raised his arms and patted the boy gently on the head.

The hug didn't last long, and Nicholas let go. Moving to Robin, he went over and embraced his younger brother too.

Nick and Judy looked into each other's eyes for a moment, completely silent. Nick stepped towards Judy and pulled her into a hug, one which she quickly returned as tears started flowing again.

"Thank you for being here, Judy," Nick whispered.

Unlike the embrace of the brothers, Nick and Judy's lasted for what seemed like an eternity, yet almost like no time at all once they parted. They saw their sons watching them, unsure of what to make of it. Nick turned to Judy and gave her a final nod. The rest of the congregation had already begun to disperse. The Minister gave Nick a passing nod before returning to the chapel.

"I'll be with you in a minute," Nick remarked to Judy. Judy gave him an understanding look. Nick stopped beside the grave of his father and stared at it. The inscription read:

'_Johnathan Reginald Wilde._

_1967-1990._

_Father, husband, son._

"_One day the world will be a better place."'_

His eyes swivelled to Viola's grave and then back again.

"You'd better take care of Ma, you hear?" Nick said. He stared at John Wilde's headstone a little while longer, as if expecting John Wilde to respond from beyond the grave, before turning away. He re-joined Judy, Nicholas and Robin, and as they left the cemetery, Nick and Judy's paws reached for each other briefly, before falling back to their respective owners' sides.

* * *

And… that's a wrap for this chapter. Another tough one, even more so since it was originally four. I hope I've done a good enough job condensing it down into the one.

The next chapter will be the final one of _Grief's Reunion_, then I start work on the rewrite of _Waking Death_ – which will be receiving a brand-new title. Suggestions are welcome!


	10. Epilogue

And, here we are: the end of this first rewrite! It's been a journey for sure. For the most part, I would say I was successful in what I set out to do, and I want to thank everybody who took a chance on it even if it's a retelling.

As always thanks to the reviewers: Wrong Password, Sapperjoe85, aomagrat, GhostWolf88 (FFN and AO3), yoshifan30, SaberGatomon, Spectra98, x_uve, DarthChew

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

Five months had passed since Viola Wilde's passing. Nick had sold up his business in Mexicat and moved back to Zootopia. For the first few weeks, he had deliberated on what it was he was going to do with himself, but then Judy brought a suggestion up.

* * *

"_Hey, Carrots…" Nick began. "I'm toying with starting a business here."_

_Nick had met up with Judy during a lunch break at a coffee shop near Precinct One._

"_Really?" Judy replied._

"_Yeah," Nick answered. "Probably something a bit lower-profile. Might even see about getting the family business up and running again. I have enough money behind me to do it, even after giving a lot of what I got from selling my shares to the cancer units in Zootopia's hospitals."_

_Nick had said that giving that money was the right thing to do. He did not want others going through what he went through. What was left was split: he put money into trust funds for both Nicholas and Robin, which left enough to live on._

"_I… might have another idea," Judy said._

"_What would that be?" Nick asked._

"_Well… I need a partner," Judy replied. "I was thinking… maybe… you could come back to the ZPD?"_

_Nick's face betrayed his surprise at the suggestion._

"_Carrots, I'm 50," Nick said. "There's no way I'll be able to pass the ZPD's physical tests a second time."_

"_I thought canines were spry right up to their 70s," Judy slyly dug._

"_First, how dare you. I'm not a canine, I'm a vulpine," Nick snarked. "Second, I'll have you know I'm not spry. I'm __very__ spry."_

"_Modest as ever," Judy chuckled lightly. "I don't have a form to give you, like last time, but…"_

"_Yeah, everything's done online now, isn't it?" Nick raised an eyebrow. _

"_Give it a thought, at least," Judy answered. "I… would like to have my partner back."_

* * *

For Judy, that moment had been the next step in the healing process between the two of them. Nick did not take long to reapply, and a word of recommendation from Judy, and begrudgingly from Bogo, had seen Nick accepted onto the Zootopia Police Academy's register.

While Nick was at the Academy each day, Judy agreed to look after Robin when he finished school. He was usually content to be by himself working on homework, and Nicholas was there as well. She had taken to writing no-send letters, which helped her process things had had happened that had impacted her life in a big way. As she sat in the living room, she started writing a new one:

'_To whom it may concern,_

_Years ago, I once gave a speech. It went something like this:_

'_When I was a kid, I thought Zootopia was this perfect place, where everyone got along and anyone could be anything. Turns out, real life is a little bit more complicated than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Real life is messy. We all have limitations, we all make mistakes.'_

_Those became words that perfectly described my life._

_I had forgotten what it was like to be myself for the longest time. I was stumbling in the dark. Choosing to change in all of the wrong ways while thinking that what I was doing was surviving._

_In my efforts for survival, I forgot how to live. It took Viola Wilde's passing, and Nick's return, for me to realise that. Tragic and heart-breaking though the event was, if it wasn't for her, me and Nick wouldn't be mending our relationship. I know she wanted that for us._

_I've been adjusting to my 'new' role of Lieutenant for about five months now. Taking on this role was one of the best things I have done for fifteen years. It means I'm not away from home as much as I had been. And it also means that I can be a better Mom to my son. Chief Fangmeyer gives me three days off in the week, and I spend as much time as I can with Nicholas._

_Nicholas has started to change too. It took a bit of getting used to, but he's finally started to open up to me more now that he has my attention a lot more. Sure, there's still the issue of him being a hybrid playing in the back of his mind, but I'm doing my best by him, which is something I should have been doing from the start. I used to say that I was trying, but now I know that wasn't true, and I am sorry to him for that, but the best way I can apologise is to prove that I can give him my all now. He's not completely open with me yet, but I think he'll get there one day._'

Judy sighed as she put her pen down and folded the letter up. A knock came at the door of the apartment. Judy rushed into the hallway to open it. Nick stood in the doorway, dressed in a ZPA uniform.

"You know, those new recruits make me feel my age," Nick remarked as he stepped inside.

"You're not _that_ old," Judy laughed lightly, stepping aside to let Nick in.

"That's not a total denial, Carrots," Nick replied with a slight grin on his face.

Judy shook her head in mock defeat as Nick headed towards the couch where Robin was sat, working on something.

"Hey, sport," Nick said, leaning over the couch. "What have you got there?"

"Homework," Robin replied, not looking up. "I got it, Dad."

"Okay, well, you can ask me if you need help," Nick stood back up. He spotted Nicholas sat in the corner, earphones in, himself busy with something.

"What are you up to?" Nick asked.

"Re-entry assignment," Nicholas replied. Nick frowned and shot a glance at Judy.

"'Re-entry assignment'?" Nick repeated.

"He skipped so much at the start of the year, so they've set him a number of assignments meant to catch him up," Judy shrugged.

"Wouldn't setting a bunch of assignments in such a short time make it _harder_?" Nick blinked.

"Maybe," Judy answered. "The teachers insisted, otherwise he might be forced to repeat the year, and he doesn't want that, so…"

Nick paced over to Nicholas and looked over his shoulder.

"You know, you make some good points, but how about…" Nick leaned forward. Nicholas stiffened slightly as Nick explained but made no move to make him go away.

"And that's how it can be seen," Nick said finally. Nicholas frowned as he looked down at the essay.

"I get it," Nicholas said. Nick stepped back. There was a brief moment of silence before Nicholas spoke.

"So, um… thanks," Nicholas said awkwardly.

"No problem, kid," Nick replied, a small smile gracing his face. He turned to Robin and said: "Come on, kiddo. Let's go home."

"Dad, you call a six-year-old 'kiddo', Robin grimaced, "I'm eleven."

Nevertheless, he packed up his homework and followed Nick from the apartment, Judy waving goodbye as they left. Judy went over to Nicholas and embraced him in a hug.

"I am so proud of you, Nicky," Judy said.

"He wanted the chance to prove himself," Nicholas shrugged, "Grandma Wilde always said I should give him that chance."

"She would be proud of you too," Judy said.

Nicholas didn't answer straight away, the trauma of losing her still not completely healed.

"Yeah. I know," He replied finally.

* * *

Judy drove the car up to the gates of St. Barks High School, with Nicholas in the passenger's seat. Months before, Judy had wondered whether Nicholas might make a run for it the moment her back was turned. Now, though, she was far less worried. Nicholas had made a lot of progress.

"You ready?" Judy looked at Nicholas.

"Yeah," Nicholas breathed.

Judy looked at him with a fond look in her eyes.

"Hey, Mom…" Nicholas started.

"Yes?" Judy said.

"You know I love you, right?" Nicholas said. The remark drew a small chuckle as a memory came to the surface from many years before.

"Do I know that?" Judy said. "Yes. Yes, I do, Nicky."

"Do me a favour," Nicholas said. "Don't call me 'Nicky' in front of anybody."

Judy giggled lightly, and Nicholas returned a small smile as he opened the door, grabbing his bag and leaving the car. Judy watched Nicholas pass the gates and offered a wave. Nicholas nodded in return.

As he entered the school grounds, a wolf girl took notice of Nicholas and stared at him. Judy frowned at the sight, wondering if this was a sign of trouble right off the bat.

Judy relaxed as she realised one thing: the wolf girl's tail was swaying, which Judy recognised as a sign of happiness. The girl headed towards Nicholas and tapped him on the shoulder and Nicholas turned, a slight frown on his face when he saw her. The frown disappeared quickly as the girl said something, and instead Nicholas looked curious.

Judy leaned forward. She recognised that wolf girl from _somewhere_, she just couldn't put a finger on it… she shrugged to herself and turned on the car's ignition. The radio flared to life.

"… _Morning to all our listeners out there, you're listening to Savanna Radio. Up next, we have Gazelle, with her newest song, 'Hope is Eternal'._"

Judy leaned back into her seat and pulled the car away from the school as the radio played the song.

_There are days  
When we fall  
Stumbling through the darkness  
Can you hear my call?_

_I learned to love, but it didn't last  
I'm filled with regrets about what's past  
But at the end of the tunnel, I see a light  
I have to get back up and put things right._

_You see, hope is eternal!  
It's not over, I can't give up,  
I know hope is eternal!  
I'll dust myself off and get back up._

_Life goes on  
It passes me by  
Through friendships lost  
My heart will cry_

_I lost my love, I forgot to live  
To change the past, oh what I would give!  
The past won't change, but the future can  
I hope this time it all goes to plan._

_You see, hope is eternal!  
It's not over, I can't give up,  
I know hope is eternal!  
I'll dust myself off and get back up._

_My heart yearns for more  
I'm sorry I hurt you  
But this isn't the end,  
There's no way we're through!_

_You see, hope is eternal!  
It's not over, I can't give up,  
I know hope is eternal!  
I'll dust myself off and get back up.  
Hear me! Hope is eternal!  
To my heart I'm finally listening.  
Did you know? Hope is eternal!  
I look to you, my eyes glistening.  
It's true! Hope is eternal!  
You've waited too long for my apology.  
Hey, wait! Hope is eternal!  
Hope is woven into my biology._

_We can live in hope.  
Hope is eternal._

* * *

And here we go: the end of this rewrite of _Grief's Reunion_! I'll be taking a break to compose myself for the task of rewriting _Waking Death_ next, and as I said, that will appear under a new title. So, until then!


End file.
